


Let the Wicked Rest

by bladewielder05



Category: Bayonetta (Video Games), Final Fantasy VII, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Super Smash Brothers, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Attempted Murder, Awkward Sexual Situations, Awkwardness, Character Death, Comedy, Crossdressing, Cruise Ships, DLC Trio, Dominance, Drama & Romance, Drunkenness, F/F, F/M, Family Issues, Fanservice, First Time, Goddesses, Hotels, How Do I Tag, Insanity, M/M, Murder, Nightmares, Nursing, Omnipotent Bartender, Power Play, Random Encounters, Repressed Memories, Revenge, Serial Killers, Sexual Tension, Slow Romance, Slow To Update, Stalking, Submission, Terrorists, Time Shenanigans, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-04
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-05-24 17:38:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 49,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6161263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bladewielder05/pseuds/bladewielder05
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cloud Strife, dead serial killer, gains a second chance to go back in time, turn his life around, and stop his past self from becoming a murderer. Not for the righteous purpose of redemption, oh no. Cloud's only doing this to not spend an eternity in hell. All he has to do is kill the people who turned him into a serial killer in the first place. Sounds easy for a murderer, if he was doing it by himself. Unfortunately he must work with his last prey, a young man who wants nothing to do with his killer, for this to all pan out. </p><p>And in Cloud's eyes, Carrigan is one of the most pathetic people he's ever met. He believes that poor Carrigan will be of no useful help whatsoever in this stupid little adventure of his other than being the victim of his sadistic entertainment. Combine that with a stubborn sister, clueless goddess, sexy bartender, dangerous terrorists, and embarrassing past selves and he has a whole mess of a past to fix. With things constantly going the wrong way, Cloud starts to wonder whether staying in hell would have been the better option than being in this crazy timeline.</p><p>Perhaps he'll learn too late that his true purpose for doing this is actually all for somebody else, somebody he loves dearly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Epilogue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GintaxAlvissforever](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GintaxAlvissforever/gifts).



> M!Corrin is named Carrigan while F!Corrin retains her name. The main character Cloud takes on the appearance of his Advent Children costume while Bayonetta switches between her short and long hair. Also, this is a sequel to "Don't Leave, Cloud". So if you want some background information, read that first before continuing.

The rain still did not let up even as the hooded figure made his way through the alleyway. He shivered involuntarily from a sudden blast of cold wind that blew the rain into his pale face to obscure his vision. Yet he simply dug back into his jacket for protection, one hand shoved into a pocket. Despite the obvious opposition, the young man continued to push forward. He knew that he couldn't go home without finishing his most important errand.

His left hand was the only part of his body that moved erratically, not on its own will however. It tightened its grip on the large suitcase as the young man yanked the unwieldy thing through the rough terrain. It didn't help that the suitcase was quite heavy, adding to the hooded figure's struggle. The young man refused to give up though. He plowed right through the rain with the two brick walls on either side acting as guards. He wasn't sure how long he had trekked this road but he was certain that nobody else knew either. It was too late, or too early depending how you want to look at it, for anybody to be awake at this time, and that was what the blonde man was counting on. He kept his eyes forward, unconsciously counting the steps needed to reach the end of the alleyway. Once he was out of that dreary place he planned to head towards the bridge that led to the outskirts of his town. And simple as that, Cloud would be free.

Fate was ever so kind to him to give him a second chance.

A frown crossed the young man's face as something unforeseen caused him to stop in his tracks. However his dark hood made it difficult for the woman blocking the entrance to his exit to see his expression. Not that she cared. After recent events she was more than happy to rain on Cloud's parade. The confident woman stood with one hand on her hip, the other holding on the umbrella sheltering her from the rain. Though a smile graced her face her eyes told a different story. Steely with a hint of cunning, those gray orbs accused the blue ones of an evil deed. The blue eyes returned with their own sense of innocence. For a while only the splatter of rain on the concrete ground filled the air with their chatter. Finally the interloper pushed her glasses up with a smug hand.

"Why…fancy meeting you out here, Cloudy."

"I could say the same thing, Bayonetta," the former police officer muttered. Bayonetta tilted her head, allowing her still smug smile and daring eyes to show. Other than that small movement, nobody took the initiative in action, only in words.

"Are you taking a little trip to nowhere with that little suitcase of yours?" she asked.

Cloud moved his head slightly to glance briefly at the black thing on his side. By now it was soaking wet from the falling rain. Despite the sight of the darkened suitcase, he didn't seem to be disturbed that all his things inside would reflect the recent weather. The blonde man switched his attention back to the bartender. A shiver went down his spine, one that wasn't caused by the freezing mixture of wind and water. He found himself secretly hoping that she didn't sense that. He felt like Bayonetta always had a subtle way of finding a person's dirtiest secrets.

"Yes," he finally said in a terse voice. Seeing how Bayonetta remained still in her position, Cloud gathered some of his nerves to take a few steps forward. His suitcase thumped awkwardly behind him. The whole way his heart pounded in his ears, and a familiar feeling of dread returned. However this sensation was more menacing than comforting. After the young man covered half the distance that separated them, the beautiful woman spoke again:

"Why start your trip so early, Cloudy? Why don't you wait until morning? I'm sure the weather wouldn't be as depressing as it is now."

Cloud stopped walking once more. His lips tightened slightly as he simply stared at the woman. His mind raced for the proper and logical answer. There really was no good reason for him to be out in this weather besides the one legitimate motive that caused him to brave the rain. However he had no plans to reveal his purpose to the woman. He finally decided on an answer:

"A family member's sick. I couldn't wait."

"Oh?" Bayonetta raised her eyebrow. "And I suppose they demanded that you rush over to them lest they die all alone?"

"They did," Cloud responded.

"Indeed. You must care very much for that family member of yours to visit them without an umbrella."

"I do," his responses were noticeably getting shorter. His muscles tensed to start him moving again. He took another two steps. However, the bartender's next statement immobilized him from moving forward again.

"And did that care extend to Carrigan, Cloudy?"

Cloud didn't need to think about his next move as the red alert triggered in his mind. His right hand whipped from his pocket, a silver gun in its mad grasp. In the serial killer's process of pulling the trigger, Bayonetta responded with her own gunshot. Cloud felt something metallic penetrate the skin of his forehead.

Pain.

Then nothing.

The blonde man lost all control of his legs as he staggered backwards. His pale hand released its tight grip on his gun. The weapon clattered to the ground, no longer posing a threat to the woman. He paid no heed to the sickening thud with which he fell. His limp arms had pushed the suitcase away from him, the black object rolling a few centimeters. Cloud's lifeless eyes stared up at the gray sky with his mouth slightly open, unmindful of the raindrops falling on them.

Bayonetta lowered her hand holding the gun. She ignored the rain spreading the human life liquid around the sidewalk as she strolled over to the suitcase. Unzipping it, she shook her head when she saw what was inside. The young CEO that came to her a few hours prior lay fittingly inside with his eyes closed. His body was soaking wet as the rain dripped through the suitcase from the sky. Bayonetta barely cringed at the bullet hole that Cloud used to take Carrigan's life, yet she couldn't stop the guilty pain in her heart seeing the silverette like this. She knew that she should have stopped him from confronting Cloud earlier. However she also knew that no matter how sound her argument was, Carrigan would have refused to let Cloud escape with his crimes. Despite her cold demeanor, she pitied the young silverette. First his sister. Now himself. The serial killer knew his business. It was fortunate for him that Carrigan went to Bayonetta first. If the he hadn't, then Cloud wouldn't be dead now.

The bartender then stared solemnly at the fallen serial killer to the side. She remembered how the former police officer sometimes came to her with Ryu for information. He continued to do so even after Ryu died by his hand. Despite her knowledge of Cloud's true identity and relish of how Ryu had absolutely no idea that his target stood next to him day in and out. Bayonetta never had any intentions to interfere nor reveal the truth. However she deemed that Cloud took things too far with Corrin and Carrigan, something that she couldn't overlook. If he didn't touch the twins, he might still be alive now. Those were the only two victims of the serial killer she really cared about. Her eyes no longer held the smug arrogance that accused Cloud. Now, they only looked at the still body in indifference.

"You dug your own grave the moment you met him, Cloud."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This is a result from a friend getting hurt at how I destroyed a beautiful relationship in "Don't Leave, Cloud". She said, "Let there be Clorrin!" ...and there was Clorrin.
> 
> 2\. I like the idea of Bayonetta knowing almost everything. There's just something about her that screams omnipotent...must be the glasses and her swag.
> 
> 3\. And Cloud was about to toss M!Corrin over the bridge into the river...quite ironic how he chooses that particular way to dispose of the evidence considering Aerith...
> 
> 4\. The title of the chapter is supposed to be ironic considering how it's called the epilogue when it's the prologue. It's really an epilogue of "Don't Leave, Cloud" but a prologue to "Let the Wicked Rest". So there you go.
> 
> 5\. I thought long and hard about the title. I wanted to do something similar to the prequel with the acronym being DLC. However I FINALLY decided to do a play on the idiom "no rest for the wicked". In a sense, the title is mocking Cloud for what's eventually going to happen to him. Maybe he should have taken the hell option...
> 
> Anyways, hope you guys enjoy. This is one I'll be sure to finish as I'm quite sure my friend would not let me hear the end of it should I "forget" it. XD I already promised, and the last thing I want to do is break a promise. So don't worry your little head.


	2. Heaven, Hell, or...

For a moment, Cloud was confused whether his eyes remained close or were open. It felt like they were open, yet the darkness around him could have told him that his eyes were actually closed. He wondered briefly whether he could move before testing it out for himself. Yeah, he could move. He couldn't see his limbs but he could still move. Using his elbows to push him off the ground, Cloud gave a slight grunt of exertion as he finally stood up. Darkness still greeted him when he swiveled his head to scan the area. Where the hell was he? The last thing he remembered was…

Cloud held his head to appease the sudden throbbing of a headache. He gritted his teeth, waiting out the pain. As he did images of his last moments of life came flooding back to him. The rain, the suitcase, the woman, the gun…the serial killer felt for the bullet hole that sent him to this desolate place. There was nothing of the sort on his forehead, allowing him to exhale a slight breath of relief. It was a bit disarming to know that you're moving around with a fatal hole in the middle of your forehead. However he had to wonder whether those images were true events or simply one of the nightmares that plagued him. Cloud rubbed his neck both in thought and to feel a tall-tell sign of a nightmare. There was no familiar wetness of sweat nor was he out of breath. So perhaps it wasn't a dream? He had to admit that it felt too real to be a dream. Yet there was no forehead wound at all, making him question the reality.

"You are finally awake, Cloud," a voice echoed in the area. His head snapped up at the sound, his eyes searching for the source. It was easy for him to pick out the small spark of light in the middle of the darkness. Focusing on it, he noticed how similar particles of light gathered around the first to blind him, forcing him to cover his eyes. When he uncovered his eyes, he sat before a young woman wearing a simple yet elegant pink dress. Brown hair flowing freely on her back and gloved hands clasping together on her front, the woman stared at the serial killer with piercing blue eyes. Her deadpan expression gave no hint as to what she was thinking. Cloud then noticed how after the woman appeared the darkness melted away to reveal a strange, teal environment with unknown particles floating around. Either her arrival brought with her this place or he was teleported in front of her. Whatever it was, the serial killer once again questioned the possibility of it being a dream.

Yet that wasn't the top priority question plaguing his mind at the moment. "Who are you?" Cloud asked bluntly. "And where am I?" The woman took no notice of his threatening tone. Or she simply chose to ignore it.

She placed a hand on her chest, "I am Zelda, Overseer of Purgatrury. As you may have guessed by now, you are in Purgatrury."

"Purgatrury?" The name sounded extremely familiar to the serial killer, but he couldn't exactly place it. Where have he heard that before?

"The place where indecisive souls are sent to for judgment or redemption in the afterlife. However, in your case, you should have been immediately sent to Infernoz," Zelda said steely. At her explanation, it finally clicked with Cloud. He was dead. The serial killer was finally dead. After all his years of sending other people to this place, Fate finally decided that enough was enough and sent him here itself. Or rather, it had Bayonetta send him here. The mere thought of the woman had him cursing her existence. He had told himself more than once that should anybody kill him, he would bring them with him. However the woman acted too fast for him and took his life without any punishment on her part. Just thinking about Bayonetta's smug smile made his blood boil.

Cloud's deadpan expression showed no indication of his frustration though, as he coolly raised an eyebrow at Zelda. He hardly gave a damn if this woman in front of him was Overseer of Purgatrury or not. Hell, she could be the Sovereign of Infernoz and he still wouldn't care. "Shouldn't you have sent me off to Hell in chains or something, Judge Judy?"

"You are here because I am giving you a second chance," the Overseer of Purgatrury stated, ignoring Cloud's jab. "You never should have become a serial killer, and I am allowing you the opportunity to fix your mistakes."

"Not interested. I could care less about reliving my shitty life."

The Overseer's eyes flashed a brief red at the serial killer's uncouth manner. Her shoulders trembled slightly before she inhaled deeply to calm herself down. She did warn herself before approaching Cloud that convincing him to change his ways would be extremely difficult. She knew from her observations of the serial killer's life that he could be tremendously stubborn when he wanted to. She also saw, much to her disenchantment, how far he had fallen from the man he used to be. Cloud was such a respectable young man before he started his serial killing life. Yet after he took his first victim, the blonde man lost almost all traits that initially placed him in her favor. He severed all ties from his remaining family and masked himself with false integrity in order to hide his true intentions. Should somebody catch him in any act he deemed important to his homicidal career, Cloud then used all his perseverance and resources to assassinate his new victim without fail. As a result now this cold, heartless man stood in front of her, seemingly indifferent about what shall befall him and what had befell his victims.

Despite hearing the words "it's impossible", Zelda brushed away that doubt like an irritating fly. Even if Cloud rejected her offer over and over, the Overseer would continue to try and convince him to accept it. She simply refused to let things fall as they did. This was not the path Cloud was meant to take, and Zelda was going to make sure that the serial killer righted the atrocities he committed. Only then could everything return to its proper place where it was meant to be. If he was the Cloud she knew, then it would have been simple to persuade him. The former Cloud cared enough about his friends and family to change his ways. However with his vindictive mindset, it was highly unlikely that that approach would work. Zelda still had another way to tempt Cloud into agreeing with her but it was one that she wanted to reserve for last.

Zelda still decided to try her former tactic in the event that he retained some of his former emotions, "Cloud, this is not about reliving your life. This is about altering it so that others could be spared from a nefarious fate. Do you not feel guilt towards hurting people you scarcely knew in order to keep your secret?"

"No," Cloud said without any hesitation. Zelda bristled angrily.

"And the people you knew, such as Ryu and Carrigan?"

"They deserved it. They shouldn't have stuck their noses where it didn't belong," Cloud growled in response. He didn't notice the involuntary twitch of movement behind Zelda.

"…what would Zack think?"

Now that had an effect on Cloud. It was his turn to stiffen at an uttered word. His glaring eyes narrowed at Zelda. For a moment, she thought she had him. However his next words dashed that hope:

"His thoughts don't matter."

Zelda frowned, "Cloud…"

"My answer's clear. Not interested."

"Do you not care about Ae-."

"I said, not interested!" the serial killer snarled loudly. Zelda barely flinched yet Cloud could see some movement behind her. He frowned at that, knowing that a stranger was listening in on their conversation. However he didn't care. This Overseer or what she called herself had pushed him far enough. Whatever else she had to say to persuade him, he would outright ignore it. He stared dead straight into her eyes, letting her know that there was nothing she could do now to persuade him into accepting.

"…are you certain you do not want to accept?" Zelda asked once more. Cloud crossed his arms, his lips sealed.

"Please reconsider, Cloud. An opportunity like this comes only once every millennia."

Still silence.

The Overseer of Purgatrury finally exhaled a defeated sigh. "If you feel so strongly about refusing my offer…I shall withdraw and have you to continue forward to Infernoz. Should you change your mind, however…simply beat your chest with your fist thrice. If you have the strength to do so," Zelda frostily said.

The serial killer responded with a snort of derision. The Overseer of Purgatrury waved her hand, a dark teal aura surrounding it. At her command a red portal appeared beneath Cloud's feet. She noticed how he stiffened at the painful screeches that arose from the entrance to Infernoz, yet the blonde man's expression didn't change. He couldn't keep his composure for long though as black hands outlined in red wrapped around Cloud's legs. His eyes widening, the serial killer involuntarily gave a staggered gasp before the demons proceeded to drag him into hell. They didn't give him time to instinctively yell for help. Once Cloud disappeared, Zelda turned in place to look at sorrowful red eyes. Those same eyes though couldn't stop the hint of anger from showing.

Carrigan, Cloud's last victim before the killer himself died, had sat quietly throughout the whole conversation. It was surprising that Cloud didn't notice the silverette behind the Overseer other than that one moment in which he had jumped in shock. Perhaps the serial killer was too busy arguing with Zelda. Either way, Carrigan felt his heart sinking as despair set in. When he had died by Cloud's hand, he woke up to find himself standing before golden gates. Unlike Cloud Carrigan immediately recognized the location to be Paradisiax. He had wondered what he had done to merit him an immediate ticket to the sanctuary many wish for. Before he took a step through the gates, however, Zelda appeared with heart-wrenching news. She notified him that although he was able to go to Paradisiax straightaway, his sister was another matter. Corrin was currently working off her sins in Purgatrury. It was almost certain, Zelda warned, that Carrigan would have to wait for many years until he could reunite with his sister in Paradisiax. Upon hearing that, the silverette begged the Overseer to perhaps shorten his sister's sentence so that he could see Corrin sooner.

"I am sorry, Carrigan. But I am not powerful enough to permit that. The Monarch of Paradisiax could choose to do so, but it is highly unlikely that she would as little to nothing justifies that action."

"But there must be something I can do! Please! I can't live without my sister, even in Paradisiax!" Carrigan had pleaded. "Please, I'll do anything!"

Zelda paused, moved by the silverette's love for his sister. Initially she simply came here to inform a soul of their relations' status as per one of her duties. Hearing Carrigan's willingness to do anything to help his sister gave her hope in fixing the disrupted timeline, something she knew must be done somehow. However she wondered if this was the right course of action to take. While Carrigan would have the chance to prolong his sister's death and shorten her sentence in Purgatrury, he would have to tolerate working with Cloud, the very person who murdered and separated the siblings in the first place. It was impossible to change the events, Zelda knew, without Cloud's influence. And even if the silverette agreed to band with the blonde, there was no guarantee that the plan would work nor would they reside in the same respective domains. It could very likely corrupt the whole timeline even more. The Overseer warned Carrigan of these dangers and other possible dangers he would face should he accept. At first, the young CEO had balked at the very idea of cooperating with Cloud. However the thought of actually being able to save his sister, something he failed to do in his past life, enticed him very much. Carrigan told himself that working with their murderer was but a small price to pay in comparison to being of some use to his sister. He agreed to Zelda's plan with full hopes that things would work out. Yet now…his newfound faith in Zelda's proposal shattered immediately at Cloud's constant refusal.

"Does this mean that I won't be able to save my sister?" Carrigan asked. At his mournful tone, the Overseer's heart almost broke. She knew how much the silverette wanted to help his sister even if he had to stay with the man who caused him that grief in the first place. She admired him for his courage and wondered whether his sister shared the same trait. If she did, that would explain why Zelda's fellow deity favored this pair of twins. Their simple kindness, especially Carrigan's, was enough to melt even the coldest of hearts, although Cloud's frozen heart was up for debate. Despite her usual Ice Queen demeanor, she allowed herself to smile reassuringly at the soul.

"Please wait another moment, Carrigan. I am certain that Cloud would be back quite soon, ready to accept my offer."

Carrigan tilted his head to the side in curiosity. He noted how confident the Overseer sounded and wondered where she found that poise considering how Cloud never gave her any ground in their negotiation. He opened his mouth to ask but was quickly silenced by Zelda's outstretched hand. She stared intently where Cloud once stood, Carrigan also looking to learn what she knew.

After a few minutes, a flash of red almost blinded the silverette. When he uncovered his eyes, he couldn't help the gasp from escaping. Zelda kept her expression calm despite the horrendous sight before her. The serial killer she talked to a few minutes before seemed to be in no condition of talking now. Cloud breathed heavily and noisily for nontoxic air. His charred, blonde hair drooped downward as blood matted them. His knees trembled with meager strength, and one of his arms hung uselessly at his side. His right arm hovered near his chest. Zelda noticed with interest how Cloud's right hand still tightened in a fist. Disgusting burns inflicted his normally pale skin, almost turning them into coals. Seven arrows penetrated right through his body to allow some blood to drip onto any floor Cloud stood on. Carrigan wrinkled his nose at the iron scent and rotting smell now present in the area. As he continued to stare at the serial killer he detected Cloud shivering as if in the cold. That was odd, Carrigan thought to himself, as Cloud's appearance made it clear he went through burning heat, not freezing cold.

"…I see you have changed your mind, Cloud," Zelda muttered without a note of arrogance. Her indifferent expression then showed some surprise with a raised eyebrow when a rasping voice rang.

"I'm…doing…this…for…myself…" The serial killer's whole frame shuddered from the mere exertion of speaking. He took one step forward before losing all strength in his legs. Carrigan instinctively dove forward to prevent Cloud from falling on his face, making sure to avoid Cloud's sharp arrowheads. The young CEO grunted in surprise at the heavy weight of the serial killer. He felt a hand push weakly against his chest. He frowned at Cloud's futile attempt to refuse Carrigan's aid.

"Be careful," Carrigan said. Cloud's head snapped up at the familiar voice. He peered to the side where he recognized his last victim. His mouth curled into a sneer.

"What are you doing here, Carrigan?"

"I'm here to help you fix your mistakes. Zelda made me an offer I couldn't refuse." The silverette felt something rumble then realized that Cloud was chuckling.

"You? Help? If you weren't of help in your past life, what makes you think you'll be any help now?"

Carrigan bristled angrily at the insult. He remembered all too well how Cloud kept telling him to stay out of the police's way. Initially he had thought that the former law enforcer cared about his well-being. Now he was quite sure that every time Cloud attempted to drive him away it was so that the serial killer could murder him with no witnesses around. The young CEO suddenly stepped away from Cloud, releasing his hold on the serial killer. Unprepared for the unexpected action Cloud fell forward rapidly. Fortunately for him he found enough strength to stop himself from face-planting. His arms still trembled from the action. The serial killer twisted his neck to glare at the silverette. Carrigan simply crossed his arms in answer and returned his own glower. Cloud slowly pushed himself off the ground to stand on wobbly legs. Turning to face Carrigan, the serial killer took a hold of one arrows that penetrated through him and snapped it in half. He took one step forward, his face showing no signs of his relish at Carrigan's paling expression.

"Enough!" Zelda's stern voice brought their attention to the Overseer. Her penetrating eyes flashed a warning at the both of them. Both Cloud and Carrigan froze, the same thought striking them at the same time. She already demonstrated her power in sending Cloud to Infernoz and it might not be beyond her to repeat that action. Although Carrigan knew he was on his way to Paradisiax, he wasn't sure if the Overseer could still send him to Infernoz nor did he want to find out. After a tense moment the serial killer tossed aside the broken arrow, grumbling to himself. Zelda couldn't hear what he said but Carrigan did. He scowled at Cloud again and kept his distance from the serial killer should he change his mind. Cloud gladly returned the glare. The tension between them almost suffocated Zelda.

The Overseer once again wondered if this was a good idea as the hateful aura between these two was all too evident. It didn't seem like it as she knew that if she sent these two out on the mission, Cloud would waste no time in murdering Carrigan and going on his merry way. However they had no choice if they wanted to set things right. These two would have to cooperate with each other long enough to complete their mission. In order to do that…Zelda knew she would have to put multiple restrictions. Mostly on Cloud. Carrigan, she knew she could trust. Cloud was another story.

Speaking of which…Zelda waved her hand. The familiar teal light surrounded Cloud for a brief moment before disappearing, leaving Cloud in the same state as he had been when he first arrived in Purgatrury. The serial killer examined himself for any further injuries. There were none. The Overseer linked her hands together. "Thank you for your cooperation, Cloud. Should you succeed, you may find yourself paying off your sins in Purgatrury when your time comes."

"…just tell me what I'm supposed to do," Cloud muttered bitterly.

"In order to redeem yourself, you must prevent yourself from ever taking the path of the serial killer. Carrigan shall accompany you."

"Why is he coming along?" the serial killer jerked a thumb contemptuously at the CEO beside him.

"His purpose is to watch and help you."

"That's not going to be very effective."

"You'd be surprised," Carrigan retorted.

"Not likely," Cloud shot back.

Zelda sighed, "It must be done this way. Otherwise, you would not be able to change the future's course. You need each other. Alone, you will fail. Together, you just might prevail."

"And here I was wondering where the rhymes were," the serial killer commented drily. If Zelda was insulted, she didn't show it. She simply exhaled lightly and ignored the barb. They had more important matters to deal with currently than a little slur.

"We haven't much time. I shall give you more information once I have sent both of you to the designated period. I do not know the exact timing, but I trust you both will recognize the era. Now stand close to each other."

There was a pause before Carrigan shuffled barely a centimeter closer to Cloud. The serial killer didn't move at all. The expressions on their faces made it clear that they had no wish to stand right next to each other. However Zelda gestured them closer. The silverette scooted another centimeter towards Cloud. The blonde still did not take a step closer to Carrigan. It irritated Carrigan slightly that he was the one forced to move but he couldn't blame the serial killer for not wanting to. He didn't want to either, and his hatred was more justified than Cloud's. Unlike the serial killer though he was willing to forgo his hatred of the murderer for the sake of his sister.

"Closer. If you are not close enough, you shall run the risk of being separated," Zelda warned. Cloud sighed in frustration at how long this was taking. He reached over, grabbed a hold of Carrigan's arm and yanked him towards him. The younger man gave a cry of surprise at the sudden roughness. He moved rapidly through the area before bumping into Cloud for a stop. The lack of space between them caused Carrigan's face to flush red in a heartbeat. His arms were smooshed in front of him, preventing him from pushing himself away from Cloud. When his mind cleared a bit, he realized that Cloud had his arm wrapped around the silverette's shoulders. Such an act caused Carrigan's face to simply feel like it was on fire. Thank Fate that his face was buried in Cloud's chest to hide his embarrassment from the other two people in the area. However Cloud and Zelda paid the young CEO no heed.

"Is this close enough?" Cloud snarled. Zelda nodded in approval.

"That should do it." There were no traces of smugness nor slyness in her voice. The Overseer held out her arms before her and closed her eyes. As she did, Cloud hid a smirk at the weak pushes Carrigan tried to use to separate them again. The silverette's attempts were futile, and he had no choice but to stay in that awkward position. The familiar teal aura that appeared around her hands soon surrounded Cloud and Carrigan. Mysterious particles sank into parts of their bodies, making said parts transparent. Zelda watched the two men in front of her slowly evaporate from her sight. She felt their presence disappear completely after that. The Overseer sighed in obvious relief, her shoulders sagging from the exertion of her powers. She then linked her hands together as she waited. That was the only thing she could do now until Cloud and Carrigan rematerialized again in the past timeline. And when they did make an appearance, the plan would be able to commence. Zelda only hoped that she would be able to find and communicate with them in time. After all, she thought grimly, there was still the possible chance of Cloud killing Carrigan right off the bat. That…hopefully wouldn't happen…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. So yeah. There are three different deities in this story: the Sovereign of Infernoz, the Overseer of Purgatrury, and the Monarch of Paradisiax. Well...there is one more who is more powerful than these three combined. If you figured out who it is, congratulations. You get a virtual cookie. Each of the domains' names were influenced by Dante's Divine Comedy (of course). I wanted to change the name to include the last three letters of the alphabet. Hence those...weird...names...yeah...
> 
> 2\. The People's Court and Judge Judy...I really couldn't think of another person...
> 
> 3\. The portal that Zelda used to send Cloud to Infernoz is a reference to the portals that Bayonetta used to send the angels into Inferno in her respective game. It's pretty awesome and scary to watch it happen, hence Cloud's lost of composure. I mean...who wouldn't freak out at being dragged to Hell?
> 
> 4\. So...yeah, Carrigan's able to go to Paradisiax straightaway but Corrin's stuck in Purgatrury. That kinda bites for the both of them. I really couldn't have Corrin go to Paradisiax because 1) it's not that easy and 2) it wouldn't give Carrigan a reason to help Cloud XD And Carrigan has to help Cloud...or else this story wouldn't exist.
> 
> 5\. I referred to Dante's Divine Comedy once again for Cloud's trip through Infernoz. It was stated that the Seventh Circle of Hell held the Violent. Cloud was teleported to the Outer ring where he briefly struggled in a river of blood and fire. Anybody who attempted to escape were shot with arrows by Centaurs. Seven arrows for the Seventh Circle and Final Fantasy VII XD I also hinted that perhaps Cloud may have reached as far as Ninth Circle of Hell, or Treachery. I think it's pretty obvious why he would have experienced that area...but yeah. It's enough to change his mind. XD
> 
> 6\. Was Cloud's move in the end all right?! HEAAH?! WAS IT?! WAS IT FINE?! I honestly have no idea...I'm just tossing things out by this point. Hope you guys enjoyed!


	3. Sober Landing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: contains minor spoiler for FE: Fates (if you could catch it...)

The moment the tingling sensation from Zelda's magic stopped, Cloud released his hold on Carrigan. The serial killer stepped away from the CEO, his sapphire eyes scanning the area they landed in. Carrigan followed his example with his own ruby eyes yet it was more so to avoid looking at the older man as his face still felt like it was on fire. Unfortunately for really only one of them, their location was shrouded in darkness, preventing them from fully accessing the place they were currently in. Cloud scowled at his recent lack of visibility. Like most people he preferred his sight over his other senses. Yet unlike most people his other senses were more developed than normal. As a result Cloud knew that they were the only ones currently in this mysterious place. It didn't seem like people usually didn't occupy this area as a clear musky smell lingered in the air along with traces of alcohol. The darkness continued to pressure them into believing that they now resided in a cramped area. Cloud easily disproved that they had little to no room to move by stretching out his arms, hitting nothing at all.

"Where are we?" he heard Carrigan mutter. Cloud sighed inwardly at the generic question. He didn't even bother to answer Carrigan's inquiry as he deemed it a stupid loss of oxygen. Instead the blonde man moved forward where his eyes had made out the outline of a door some feet away. He hid a smirk at the surprised cry of his name accompanied with a desperate word from behind. The hidden smirk quickly revealed itself to be a scowl when something bumped into his arm just as he reached for the door. Cloud looked to his side where he could barely see Carrigan's silver locks. Almost immediately after the serial killer felt the collision, Carrigan retreated a step to put in some much wanted space between them. "Sorry…"

"Barely three minutes in and you're already causing problems," Cloud scorned. Admittedly the bump didn't annoy him as much as Carrigan following him during the investigation in their previous life. Yet he couldn't resist the opportunity to jab at the silverette's incompetence. He sensed rather than saw his acquaintance bristle in anger, the reaction soothing his animosity for the whole situation slightly.

"It's natural for people to bump into each other when it's dark."

"Because they're stupid to not let their eyes adjust. If you did just that, then you wouldn't have bumped into me, now would you?"

Carrigan narrowed his eyes despite Cloud's disability to make out the minute details of the younger man's glare. "You didn't give me any time to adjust at all. You were just going to leave me here."

"I'm becoming more and more tempted to do just that," the serial killer retorted. Before Carrigan could think up a response, Cloud had already opened the door. Cloud's sudden leave of the mysterious room forced the younger man to drop the matter in order to hurry after the taller man. Carrigan noticed how they had entered a dark hallway with foggy light at the end of one way. Giving into temptation, he looked behind him now there was sufficient enough light to see some traces of the room they were originally in. Fat shadows of shelves and barrels barely revealed themselves in the dim light yet Carrigan could already guess those objects judging from the pungent smell of alcohol. Light footsteps alerted the silverette that Cloud had started down the hallway without him. He jumped slightly before rushing after the serial killer. Once he got close to Cloud's side, he slowed down to match Cloud's pace but his head never stopped its constant motion of eying everything of interest.

Truthfully there wasn't much to look at as the walls on either side of them lacked portraits and decorations in favor of some velvet covering. There were a few doors that led to other unknown rooms, yet Cloud quickly bypassed them all without a second thought. Carrigan knew that it wasn't beyond the serial killer to leave him by his lonesome so he had to resist his temptation to check those rooms. Besides, the matter of the Overseer of Purgatrury actually bringing the two of them back to life was more than enough to occupy his mind. Carrigan still found it hard to believe that he was _alive_ again after his life was so forcefully taken away from him. The idea of the whole situation being a trick undoubtedly occurred to the silverette and that they were simply wandering in a trap for all eternity with no way of getting out. However he knew from the brief moment of meeting Zelda that she was not at all the type to play tricks on other people. She probably had little to no idea about the concepts of pranks. So it was more than likely that them being resurrected was the real deal.

Yet Carrigan had to wonder whether this was the same body his soul resided in when he had died. He had read somewhere that in order for something to be alive, it had to have a body and a soul. No doubt that they had the souls already, but what about the body? Did Zelda reuse their old bodies or did she create new ones for them? After some pondering, Carrigan felt his forehead. Feeling no bullet hole he concluded that perhaps Zelda had created new bodies for them. So what about their appearance? Did they change at all? A flash of movement caught the Carrigan's eye, prompting him to stare briefly into a mirror at a young man with ruby orbs and a silver hairstyle of his own. He shook his head in recognition that they didn't seem to change in their appearance at all, or at least he didn't. He wondered if it was the same with Cloud but the former CEO was sure that if his own looks didn't change, then the serial killer's physical appearance barely altered as well. He switched his attention ahead once again, taking note of the familiar back of Cloud's spiky hair. He bitterly remembered all too well how he was stuck behind the former cop during their "search" for his missing sister.

Cloud, for his part, wasn't even concerned with their changing exterior or even their unbelievable revival. He simply wanted to get the whole thing done with so that he could return to being dead despite being dead for only a few torturous minutes or so. Unfortunately with Carrigan in tow, he knew that this would be a lot more difficult to do. If it was simply him, then he would be able to "fix" his life, no problem. But Carrigan's tagging along meant that the serial killer had to be more careful in his movements. Sure the thought of killing Carrigan a second time had occurred to Cloud. However he felt that if he simply murdered the silverette on the spot, then Zelda would have no trouble reviving the CEO once again. The Overseer of Purgatrury would probably also be at his head with a scolding lecture.

He could kill himself to avoid all of this. There was nothing wrong with adding suicide to his list of sins. The problem with that though was that he would only condemn himself to Infernoz once again. Truthfully Cloud didn't mind going back to that hellhole. He honestly didn't care what happened to him at this point. Yet one simple memory of what he experienced there was almost enough to freeze Cloud dead in his tracks. He felt a shiver down his spine at the recalling of what he saw. Thankfully he kept his wits about him, reminding himself that he was no longer in Infernoz, that he was actually alive again.

That didn't change the fact that Cloud would be anywhere but here with the useless boy behind him.

Speaking of which, Cloud had enough time to wonder exactly where the hell the Overseer had teleported them and what time period until the pair finally exited the hall they traversed through. Cloud stopped to take in the multiple tables and chairs before him. However a familiar bumping sensation at his arm caused him to scowl. This time, he was able to actually turn and show a sheepish Carrigan his displeasure. "Really?" the serial killer had to ask in his mocking tone.

This time there really was no excuse for Carrigan. He kept his mouth shut as he knew that if he answered truthfully (that he had been thinking about their situation), Cloud would immediately retort with something along the lines of Carrigan's "ineptness" again. Seeing that no answer was coming in the aftermath time, the serial killer snorted in derision and switched his attention back to examine their location further. The young CEO also took in the sight of all the booths. The smoke around them didn't obscure their vision too much, allowing them to recognize the familiar placing of the tables and chairs. The counter they stood at hid away some of the colorful drinks below it but allowed a wider variety of alcohol to be shown above it. If the backrooms of the place weren't enough for Carrigan to recognize their location, then the front immediately gave itself away. He had a feeling he knew where they were as they walked through the hallway yet he wanted to make sure. Now that he was certain, he could wonder where Bayonetta was.

"I guess we really are at the Gates of Hell Bar, but why would Zelda transport us here?" Carrigan muttered to himself. Cloud looked over at his acquaintance sharply. Despite the silverette talking in a low voice, the serial killer still heard what he said. At once his memory came back and Cloud recognized the place to be where he had received most of his information from the smug bartender. He wasn't sure why he didn't recognize it faster than Carrigan but that wasn't his main concern at the moment. The mere thought of Bayonetta's smirk boiled the serial killer's blood and sparked a grudging flame. Since he was here to stay for a while, why not go ahead and enact his revenge now? It couldn't hurt to kill the witch of a bartender that caused set this whole thing in motion. If she wasn't there, then Cloud would actually still be alive without the need of Zelda reviving him.

Cloud raced across the counter, pulling out drawers and rummaging through them before slamming them shut in disgust. Carrigan jumped a bit in surprise when he saw how hurried his companion seemed to be. The young CEO could hear at times multiple tools being pushed around while other drawers seemed to be empty or simply required no need for searching. He felt slightly intimidated at Cloud's sudden fervor to find something. However he knew that whatever the serial killer was looking at the moment could only spell trouble. His fears were well founded when Cloud pulled out a gleaming knife. The serial killer eyed the potential weapon critically before placing it on the counter. Though not his weapon of choice, it would have to do if he couldn't find any gun. Cloud still wanted a gun though so he resumed his search for his primary armament.

"Cloud…what are you planning to do with that?" came the sniveling voice of the pathetic behind him. The serial killer heaved an exaggerated sigh. He straightened from his kneeling position as he slammed shut another drawer. He reached over and grabbed the knife, the shining blade catching some of the dull light from the neon lights behind the counter. Cloud trailed the razor edge along one of his fingers, not enough for it to bite through his skin.

"Cut some vegetables, obviously," he snarked. Carrigan's eyes flashed angrily at the apparent jab. He crossed his arms, the frown clear on his face.

"I'm not as dumb as you think I am. What is that for?"

"…if you must know, I plan on paying the owner of this fine establishment a visit," Cloud finally stated. He had considered dragging Carrigan out and dangling the silverette on the string a bit longer. However the more time he took with this, the less time he could have to kill the bartender. Zelda had no yet contacted them making this the most opportune time to extract his revenge.

His acquaintance's anger quickly transformed into shock and fear. It was painfully clear what the serial killer was insinuating, yet Carrigan couldn't help but need to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. "Y-you mean…" Carrigan's voice trailed off. Despite the bait, Cloud didn't take it. He simply turned to smirk at the silverette and lean against the counter. He threw the knife in the air, catching it easily when it came back down. "You're…you're not planning to kill Bayonetta…are you?" Carrigan finally found the courage to ask.

"Why…yes. Unless you want to be her replacement," Cloud chuckled. "I rather it be her, but I don't particularly mind if you volunteer." There was a slight thrill that ran down his spine at the absolutely shaken look he saw on the silverette's face. If he could continue to taunt Carrigan like this, then maybe the whole situation wouldn't be so bad. It still bit but at the very least he could have some fun with the younger man.

"You can't do that! I thought the whole point of this was to stop you from killing people!"

"Perhaps. But we don't have to start that now. I can still kill one last person before my journey to salvation."

"No! I won't allow it!" Carrigan stepped forward, his eyes blazing in fierce determination. Cloud crossed his arms and tilted his head. He had on an infuriating smile that really ticked the young CEO off.

" _You_ won't allow it? Oh, I'm sure that would be enough to protect Bayonetta from me."

Carrigan knew that Cloud was saying all of this simply to get a raise out of him. However he couldn't help but take that bait. He had to stand up to the serial killer in order to prove that he won't allow the blonde to push him around. Otherwise this whole mission would be one huge hellhole for him despite his assurance that he is booked for Paradisiax. He shook his head at the serial killer, "Why do you want to kill her anyways? I thought you two were friends!"

"Guess you thought wrong," Cloud uncrossed his arms, the knife still in his hand. He gestured with it as he turned away from the young CEO. "Now where is that bitch?" Cloud began to move from the counter towards another hallway he saw on the other side when he felt something grab his arm quite firmer than he would expect. When he twisted his neck to look, he was met with resolute ruby eyes set in stubborn lines.

"I'm not going to let you hurt anybody anymore, Cloud! I promised Zelda I'll be watching you."

Despite his annoyance, the serial killer could only smirk at Carrigan's naiveté. Poor boy really had to learn about the true workings of the real world. That's why Cloud always hated those born into money. So entitled and disillusioned to the world around them, it made him sick how they acted like they needed to be in control at all times. Granted Cloud really wanted Carrigan to be different from the stereotypical rich kid. However his current and past actions dashed that hope. Oh well. At least Cloud could still have his fun with the boy. He wrenched his arm away from Carrigan, earning a small cry of surprise. The silverette started to move towards the blonde, but the point of the knife stopped him from getting any closer.

"How noble of you, Carrigan. Now tell me, how exactly do you plan to stop me?"

Carrigan paused, wondering what he should say. While he hated to admit it Cloud was right. There was no way he could really stop Cloud albeit he wanted to. He couldn't overpower the taller man nor could he able to pull a knife on the guy in self-defense. Heck, he couldn't even bring himself to kill him in their former lives. Sure Cloud had tricked him into believing in him, but then Carrigan knew that even if he didn't believe Cloud at that time, he would have been completely petrified to pull the trigger. His shaking hands were a testimony to that and it was more than likely that jittering fingers would have been the cause of Cloud's death. So how exactly did Carrigan expect to stop the serial killer from doing what he wanted? Actually, he knew what he was going to say. Unfortunately he had no idea how Cloud would react to the revelation. He took a deep breath to calm down his nerves and finally plunged forward.

"Bayonetta's not the one you want to kill. It's me," he replied steadily. Despite his supposedly calm appearance, Carrigan's heart threatened to pound right out of his chest. He could feel a small bead of sweat trail down the back of his neck at the huge risk he was taking. Cloud raised an eyebrow at that. He did not expect that answer at all. He had been joking when he suggested that Carrigan take the bartender's place as his victim. Even if the young man had accepted, Cloud would have shot him down, not literally of course, because this wasn't a matter of killing a random person to satisfy a non-existent bloodlust. It was a matter of revenge. The serial killer opened his mouth for another barb but Carrigan quickly cut him off. "You want to kill her because she killed or was the cause of your death, right? How do you think Bayonetta knew to look for you after you killed me? It was because of me. I came to her before confronting you."

"…what?" Cloud snapped in a low voice. He narrowed his eyes at the silverette, a clear indication of his mounting anger. Carrigan flinched slightly but swallowed his nervousness. He was finally getting through to the serial killer on pain of his life. However he didn't care if he directed Cloud's wrath on him. If it could save a life, especially a life that helped him, so be it.

"I told her that if I didn't return in at least an hour, then my suspicions of you being my sister's murderer was correct and that she should notify the police. So, if I never came to her before going to you, then Bayonetta never would have found you to end your life. I was the real cause of your death, not her."

"…you…" He had wondered how Bayonetta was tipped off that he was the murderer. He simply attributed to her listening to the rumors and coming up with the conclusion on her own. He always had a feeling that she somehow knew things despite the lack of evidence. However with his companion's confession, it made sense. Cloud remembered how the arrogant bartender had mentioned Carrigan's name and he had pondered that fact in the back of his mind. Of course. Bayonetta would not have even referenced to the CEO if he did not tell her his reasoning on how Cloud was the true murderer. That would mean that…Bayonetta was not the one to extract revenge on. It was Carrigan. Cloud's grip on his knife tightened as he took a step towards the silverette. Carrigan instinctively stepped backwards, his determined eyes surprisingly unwavering despite his paling face. He regretted his movement of weakness and attempted to stand his ground by staring defiantly at the serial killer. His glare had no effect on Cloud's advance. "It was your fault then…it was your fault that I died…"

"Yes, Cloud. It was me-."

Cloud's hand suddenly shot out, swift as a snake. It caught Carrigan's neck in its iron grasp. The young man gave out a surprised cry of pain as he instinctively tried to pry Cloud's fingers apart. However like he had observed before, there was no way he could overpower the taller man. He felt Cloud move and his back slammed into the edge of the counter, his head close to knocking back painfully against the ivory top. After the stars cleared from his vision, Carrigan was aware of Cloud's livid eyes staring down at him, a small cruel smirk lighting the serial killer's face. The CEO's attention quickly switched to the silver knife that hovered dangerously over his neck. One plunge and it was over. Both of them knew it.

"Even in death, you're still a nuisance to me," Cloud snarled. He raised the knife higher for more strength in his murderous action. His fingers moved slightly for some of his victim's neck to show. "Any last words?"

"…Zelda...won't allow this..." Carrigan gasped. At those words the serial killer chuckled. He tightened his grasp, enjoying the way Carrigan panted for oxygen. His face paled even more at the deprivation of necessary air.

"As if she could stop me." Cloud's arm acted on its own and dove for the soft flesh underneath Carrigan's chin. The young man couldn't help himself and flinched from the action, his eyes closing in preparation for the familiar arms of death to bring him back to the gates of Paradisiax. When no such darkness and sensation came after what seemed like minutes, he opened his ruby eyes. His fearful heart pounding in his ears almost prevented him from hearing the scolding Zelda had for the former serial killer.

The Overseer of Purgatrury had arrived just in time to stop Cloud from committing an unnecessary murder. In all the excitement, Carrigan almost forgot how the goddess looked. Now that she was before him once again, he almost couldn't believe the unnatural beauty Zelda had despite her Ice Queen demeanor. She stood a few feet away from the counter, almost like a nervous customer would. Yet there was nothing nervous in her stature. A teal aura surrounding it, her gloved hand reached outward towards the two men. The same teal aura gripped Cloud's knife hand firmly. It surprised Carrigan to see the blonde struggling to bring the knife any closer to him before he realized that Zelda must be using her magic to paralyze Cloud.

"Withdraw your blade, Cloud," she ordered frostily. "I will not allow you to murder Carrigan."

The serial killer only glowered at the deity. He attempted to push downward, but Zelda's magic prevented him from enacting that simple movement. It overpowered him and he realized he had no choice but to follow her command. He bitterly relinquished his grip on Carrigan's neck, allowing the young CEO to cough for air. Cloud stood stock-still yet a steely look from the Overseer warned him to step away from his former victim. He muttered a curse to himself at his failed attempt for revenge. Now he had to look for a different opportunity to kill the silverette. Zelda linked her hands together in the familiar way. She turned to Carrigan, who had pushed himself off the counter and was rubbing his neck ruefully. His face, now that he regained the oxygen he lost, returned to its normal coloring.

"My apologies, Carrigan. I had a little bit of trouble tracking you two down."

"It's fine, Zelda. Cloud…didn't do too much." Carrigan's own words surprised him. Even Cloud raised an eyebrow at the unexpected answer. The silverette wasn't sure why he was defending his murderer when Cloud literally attempted to repeat history with a knife this time. Perhaps it was because he understood Cloud's anger at the discovery of him playing a huge part in the serial killer's death. However he wasn't sure if that was the real reason. Either way, he still defended the serial killer on his own accord. That didn't mean he fully forgave him for it though.

Zelda's eyes flashed, "He almost killed you again. That is much more than what you described 'didn't do too much'." She turned to Cloud, "I knew it was wrong to leave you two alone. Sooner or later, you would have been tempted to take away Carrigan's life once again. Murdering Carrigan is forbidden, Cloud."

Cloud rolled his eyes, "Please. It was his fault. If he had kept to himself that he was the true cause of my death, then I wouldn't have gone after him. I would have continued to search for Bayonetta." Yet hearing Zelda prohibiting him from killing Carrigan irritated him immensely. That meant that even if there was an opportune time to slice his throat or shoot his head, Cloud wouldn't be able to do that. Similarly to this time, he was sure that Zelda would be ready to step in to protect Carrigan. The serial killer muttered another curse under his breath.

"I will not allow you to murder any innocent civilians either," Zelda scowled darkly, her face an entire mask. "They had nothing to do with your straying on the path of a serial killer. Rather, you should be focusing on tracking down the real men who influenced you."

"…what do you mean?" Cloud muttered.

"You know exactly what I am talking about, Cloud. If you are able to stop the specific men before certain events are triggered, then you would be able to prevent yourself from ever becoming a serial killer. The terrorists were the ones who afflicted you with the desire to kill and therefore are the roots of your conflicts."

"So you're saying…that if I want to stop my past self from becoming a serial killer, I have to kill the people who put me on the path in the first place? Quite contradicting, isn't it?" he snarked as he crossed his arms.

"Yes, I admit it is quite conflicting," Zelda sighed in resignation. "Unfortunately, I could find no other way. In order to prevent your past self from spilling blood, you must be willing to stain yourself with that blood. I have no doubt you are fine with that." She proceeded to say more, but Carrigan's pale face stopped her.

"Zelda, you said something about terrorists. Do you mean…?" he paused as he couldn't bring himself to ask the question that suddenly plagued his mind.

"…" the Overseer knew what Carrigan was asking and hesitated in telling him the truth. However after a moment's deliberation she pushed her indecision aside, knowing that he would find out eventually. Better that he knew sooner to prepare himself than later when it might be too late. She nodded, "I am sorry to say it, but yes. I have sent both of you back right after the bombing of Anankos's conference. It was the only period of in the timeline that I was able to transport you to."

"What?" Carrigan whispered. He covered his mouth with his hands, his head shaking slowly. He could feel something gathering at his eyes, forcing him to blink rapidly to keep them from falling. "No…no, it can't be…" without waiting for anybody, he raced from behind the counter to the exit. He moved too fast and sudden for Zelda to stop him. Cloud didn't even bother to try. He simply watched as the silver locks that annoyed him so disappeared from his view. When they finally did, he turned his attention back to Zelda.

"How cruel of you to send both us to such a painful moment of our past."

"And here, I thought you lost all emotions of care. I was wrong. Perhaps there is hope for you yet."

"I don't give a damn about that," the serial killer muttered bitterly to himself.

"That may be so. However you must care about Carrigan. He is just as vital to this mission as you are. If he dies, then all would be for naught," Zelda warned. Cloud growled in annoyance at that. Did he really have to take care of the silverette? He was old enough to care for himself, yet it was painfully obvious that he didn't know how to handle himself on the streets. Knowing Carrigan, he was bound to get into some sort of trouble soon. The serial killer really had no choice in the matter. He had to watch out for his acquaintance if he wanted to get this whole thing over with. Cloud moved from behind the counter and walked towards the exit. When he passed Zelda, her voice stopped him.

"Cloud, before you go, I must inform you of certain things."

The serial killer twisted over to look, "What? You're going to lay some ground rules on me like a kid?"

Zelda was unfazed by the impatience in Cloud's voice, "You are never allowed to kill Carrigan. You are also not allowed to kill anybody unless it is for the sake of fulfilling the mission, understand? You are only allowed to kill those who have put you on this path. Both of you must also keep your identities a secret lest you create more unnecessary misfortune to the timeline. I would be in contact with you the majority of the time, yet certain points would not allow me to communicate with the two of you."

"…" Cloud started again for the door. Once he reached it and was in the process of pushing it open, Zelda's statement halted him for the last time.

"This is possibly the most important piece of information, Cloud. I believe you would like to hear it," came the Overseer's voice. By this moment, the serial killer was getting tired of listening. He wanted to get out of here already as the place reminded him too much of his own murderer. However he stayed long enough to hear Zelda's next warning, "Should you succeed in this mission…I am uncertain how it may affect your and Carrigan's existence. There is a possible chance…that both of you will disappear into nothingness."

"…well, lucky me. I guess I would get my revenge on Carrigan after all," Cloud chuckled darkly as he left Zelda alone in the Gates of Hell Bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. In this story, Bayonetta owns the Gates of Hell Bar. I wonder whether I should use a different name, but Ginta wanted Bayonetta to steal Rodin's idea.
> 
> 2\. Carrigan telling Bayonetta beforehand that he might die when he confronts Cloud is a callback to FE: Fates Revelations. For those who haven't played and don't want to be spoiled, look away. For those who have played, remember Anthony and his trap? Yeah. Pretty much the same deal. Carrigan had warned Bayonetta that if he didn't return then it pretty much confirms that Cloud was the true serial killer. Carrigan wouldn't be irresponsible in leaving Bayonetta hanging.
> 
> 3\. Another FE: Fates Revelations spoiler! There is no evil Anankos here, so you could probably guess why Carrigan got so horrified at discovering at what point in time they went back to.
> 
> 4\. Hope this relieves some of your stress, Ginta. Tried my best to satisfy. Sorry there's little to no fan service here. It'll come though, I promise...eventually...


	4. Pride and Tears

Carrigan apologized multiple times when he collided with people in the streets. However those impacts didn’t check his speed as he continued to dash frantically through the crowds towards his destination. He unconsciously registered the light gray rain that dripped from the sky, but those droplets did little to discourage the young man from his run. His mad trek through the somewhat familiar city seemed to take forever almost as if everything he was experiencing was simply a dream. His sluggish speed, the blurry faces, the dull surroundings, the looming terror, it couldn’t be real. His heart quickened its pace, his breath coming in huffs, but Carrigan still did not slow down. As uncertain fear grew the young man finally pulled the breaks and decelerated to a stop right in front of a stone arch leading to a graveyard.

The plant-life that decorated the gateway and the tombstones were ironically bright and cheerful considering the multiple dead bodies buried all around the place. However Carrigan had no eyes for the things that usually fascinated him so. Instead he fixed his focus on the enormous group that stood in the horizon. At once he felt his heart burst as a wave of pain and regret pelted him with help from the deepening rain. Everybody in that far-off group wore matching shades of black in order to express their sorrow. Through the people Carrigan saw the two dark coffins with wreaths of flowers resting on top. He also noticed three familiar beings standing closer to the coffins than everybody surrounding them. One of them hid his face in a failed attempt to stop the tears from rolling down his face. The second covered her mouth as she constantly shook her head in sorrow at the misfortune that befell her family. The last person shed no signs of grief other than a straight frown while she held her two family members close to her to remain strong.

When people dream, they could either see their vision through a first-person point of view as if it was reality or a third-person point of view as if it was television, or even both. Regardless of the viewpoint the dreamer still felt the emotions of their selected character. Carrigan felt as if he had both perspectives when he stood meters away from his father and sister’s funeral. The same emotions of regret and sorrow from that day returned to him and tears almost threatened to fall from his eyes again. At that moment he could see the two coffins before him. Blackened memories that he driven away long ago taunted him once again. After a moment of struggling with his feelings, he finally shed new tears for his dead family members. However, unlike the young man who hid his face, Carrigan allowed himself to cry silently without a care as to who saw him. He hugged himself to stop his shoulders from shaking too much, closing his eyes to squeeze out all his sorrows.

He never thought he would experience this agony of seeing his family dead once again. He already felt it thrice in his former life. In fact, he actually had some small hope in the back of his mind that he would be able to save his father and younger sister as well once Zelda brought them to the past. It was obvious now that that was out of the question. Why did he have to go through the funeral again? Was it Fate’s cruel way of reminding him of his helplessness in situations like these? That he could never really change even if he tried? Carrigan quickly told himself no, that that possibly couldn’t be it. It was simple chance that Zelda unfortunately had only this time period to send them back to. He was absolutely certain that if the Overseer of Purgatrury could, she would have sent them to a different era, one without so much emotional heartache. Yet even so, he couldn’t let this moment get to him.

This wasn’t the time to be moping about what now couldn’t be helped. It was time for him to stand up and actually do something. Carrigan wouldn’t dare waste this opportunity that was so miraculously given to him. He had to seize it and act on it.

Carrigan inhaled deeply to calm himself despite the overwhelming urge to continue crying. He wiped away the tears that still fell, mistaking some of the raindrops as his own waterworks, and straightened his shoulders. When he looked to the group, he could still see the three family members still expressing their sorrows each in their own way. That mournful sight motivated him greatly. The young man silently vowed to himself that he would succeed in this mission. If he could prevent Cloud from becoming a serial killer, he would be able to save his sister. He wasn’t as helpless as he was back then. Even though Carrigan knew that he hadn’t changed much, he also knew that this would help him change for the better, that he would be able to finally stand up for himself and not let anybody else walk over him like the dastar-.

His meditation was quickly caught off when a hand clamped over his mouth. It muffled his surprised cry as it pulled him backwards. Carrigan felt his body hit another’s, an extra hand wrapping around his arms to prevent him from breaking free. The silverette instinctively struggled against the iron hold to no avail. The sinking feeling in his heart told him that it was futile to fight the stronger stranger, yet he didn’t stop his squirming. Even though people may have considered him weak in the past, the driven Carrigan now wouldn’t go down without a fight.

His heart skipped a beat when he heard a familiar, low chuckle behind him. “If this was anyone else but me, you would have already died.” Cloud finally relaxed his grip, allowing Carrigan to jump away like a jackrabbit. The CEO turned around once he was sure he was out of the serial killer’s range. His surprised expression rapidly changed to that of anger.

“What did you do that for? You scared me half to death!”

Cloud shrugged in disdain. “I can cross off one thing on my bucket list then.” He smirked when he saw the familiar narrowing of the brow that signaled Carrigan’s anger. He noted how red the young man’s eyes were, even more red than usual. He already knew the reason for it and it wasn’t because Carrigan was furious with his little taunt. “Crying, you little brat?”

“No! And I’m not a brat!” Carrigan quickly wiped the nonexistent tears away. Cloud only nodded in sarcastic agreement with that small, smug smirk still on his face. Carrigan swore that he could almost hear the blonde say, “Uh-huh. Sure you’re not.” Yet the older man remained silent, allowing an important question to strike the younger. “How did you find me?” the moment those words left his mouth, Carrigan immediately regretted it. He knew that Cloud was just going to mix in an insult with his answer, something that the CEO had no time and energy for. Unfortunately he was right.

“I followed the salty trail of tears and incompetence. It was simple, really.” Cloud didn’t bother to tell him that it was Zelda who told the serial killer exactly where he could locate the runaway. Carrigan would probably dismiss his explanation and come to that conclusion anyways. Cloud looked over to where the funeral was just dispersing. He judged that now was a good time to leave, especially when he could just make out two people who were very similar to two very acquainted and very irritating people he had the displeasure of meeting. He most definitely didn’t want to risk being seen by said people. Besides, they wasted enough time already. He grabbed Carrigan’s arm, slightly enjoying the small cry of pain the smaller male let out. Although he felt Carrigan try to break out of his grip once again, the serial killer easily held on and yanked him away from the graveyard. Pulling the silverette behind Cloud led him down the street.

He skillfully maneuvered his way around the crowds unlike Carrigan and his initial run. He ignored the familiar buildings around him in favor of speed. Though the rain was letting up a bit Cloud would appreciate it if they made it to the motel without getting too wet. The silverette’s struggles weren’t helping their little stroll at all. If anything they were just being slowed down by it, especially whenever Carrigan dug his heels into the ground to stop his ride. The curses stayed on Cloud’s tongue but it was getting harder and harder not to unleash them on the deadweight behind him.

“Let me go! You don’t have to drag me!” Carrigan said pathetically as he pushed weakly against the firm clasp that he was becoming more acquainted with than he liked. “Just tell me where we’re going and I can just walk there!”

Cloud stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, causing people to begrudgingly go around the two males. He considered Carrigan’s demand for a moment. And, just like that, he relinquished his grasp. That small action surprised the silverette greatly. Even though he wanted it to happen he didn’t exactly expect it too. Unfortunately that was as far as Cloud’s generosity went. He might have released Carrigan’s wrist but he didn’t tell him where they were heading. He simply continued walk forward albeit at a faster pace now. Caught off-guard at the sudden acceleration, Carrigan started the trek a bit later.

The younger male had more difficulties navigating through the throngs of strangers than before as this time he had to keep an eye on Cloud as well. Like his dash earlier he had to apologize to a couple of people he bumped into, more than usual actually. Although many people had umbrellas, wet clothes still slid past each other for uncomfortable sensations on both parties. Heat radiated off of everybody, adding to the humidity in the air. This journey was a lot worse than his earlier one. Carrigan soon realized that Cloud was purposefully threading through tight spots that he seemed to clear effortlessly while the silverette had troubles going through. That explained why he ran into people more often. He felt his anger mounting again at how Cloud was behaving. He was almost certain that the smug grin had returned to the serial killer’s face. At that thought, Carrigan gathered himself to weave his way through the people without bumping into anybody. He refocused his eyes on the back of the man before him. He was fortunate that Cloud’s dark clothing and spiky hair stood out in the crowd. Nobody else was really like the serial killer.

Cloud, for his part, was enjoying how Carrigan struggled. However he did make sure to keep the young man in view. He couldn’t have the boy getting lost or running off again. If he did then he would just have to waste more of his precious time finding the guy and dragging him back. It was bad enough that Cloud was forced to walk these streets again after he thought he was done with life. Now he had to babysit an overgrown brat to boot. What made things worse was the fact that he was forbidden to even harm the boy. That grated him immensely considering how Carrigan was the true cause of his death. Even if it could be considered Carrigan’s revenge and therefore in a sense justified, Cloud was still irritated that the silverette outplayed him like that.

He honestly had no idea why he was forced to have Carrigan be his companion. Anybody else but the silverette or his sister would have been better. Hell, he would have even put up with Bayonetta. At least she could stand on her own. Yet according to Zelda he had to bring Carrigan along if things were to be played out smoothly. Cloud wanted to call that bullshit since he knew that the boy would be of no help whatsoever. The only thing Carrigan would be good for was a hostage or bait or something. Even as bait, the silverette would only be a liability since Cloud also had to spend some energy ensuring his protection. All in all, this was quite a shitty revival for him. The Infernoz offer was looking more tempting the passing minute.

Cloud quickly shook away those thoughts. He couldn’t waste his time dwelling on those things again. He already did that when he went to fetch Carrigan. Besides, it wasn’t very productive on his part as he knew there was no way he could change seeing how certain things already played out. He told himself that he was better off planning what to do about the terrorists. He found the irony stupid that he himself had to commit multiple murders in order to save his past self from becoming him. When he went to get Carrigan and she kept an eye on him, Cloud had snarked to Zelda how unfair and hypocritical she was being in this situation. She frostily reminded him he was trading the lives of horrible men for the greater good and that he himself was getting a chance to repent his sins.

“By committing more sins?” Cloud had asked when he swerved to avoid walking into a bunch of kids.

“So Fate has established. Even though we are powerful deities overlooking our respective domains, the actions of Fate remain a mystery to us. It is entirely up to Fate on what happens.”

Like hell it was, Cloud thought to himself. If Fate really did decide what happened, how was he able to stray off the path so easily? After all Zelda had said that he wasn’t supposed to become a serial killer in the first place yet he managed to do it, no problem. So what part was Fate able to play in that sense? Whatever the explanation, that didn’t change the fact that he was here now and he had little choice but to do as Zelda had told him. If he could take more revenge on the terrorists, so be it. He could even use this opportunity to his advantage and actually help the one person that really mattered to him in the past. But that was only if he would be able to succeed. With the handicap trailing him Cloud had a tall and difficult mountain to climb. He glanced over his shoulder to monitor Carrigan’s process.

Because he took a look behind him, Cloud didn’t realize that he was walking right into a place he’d rather not see in a million years again. He frowned when he saw the familiar buildings around him yet he didn’t check his speed. The serial killer racked his brains for a memory that could solve his small dilemma what this familiar place was. If he had the time, he would have also wondered why he was late in recalling things recently. He couldn’t even recognize the Gates of Hell Bar before Carrigan and he had been there longer than the silverette (although Carrigan had been in the back while Cloud remained in the front, allowing the former to recognize the place a bit quicker than the latter). Perhaps Bayonetta’s bullet shot had done more damage than he realized. Or maybe Cloud just plain didn’t want to live anymore therefore making those memories void in the necessity department. Despite what was the correct answer, Cloud knew that problems like this could be detrimental to both of them in the near future. He made a mental note to see if there was any way he could fix his little problem soon.

It was only until he saw the brunette several yards away did Cloud finally remember. At the memory he froze up. He barely register the light pitter-patter of the rain that continued to fall, allowing some of his wet hair to cling onto his forehead. However he did register the impact with which Carrigan bumped into him. The silverette’s annoying voice snapped him out of his trance. Cloud ignored Carrigan’s question in favor of scrutinizing the brunette. Seeing how she bent over the flowers notified the serial killer that she hadn’t notice him. And he planned to keep it that way.

“H-Hey!” Carrigan balked indignantly as Cloud once again grabbed his wrist in a much tighter grip. Was that even possible? The silverette winced when the blonde jerked him to the side to cross the street. There was a sudden new urgency that Carrigan felt from the taller man. He wondered what possibly could have triggered it since he found few things that could faze the blonde. Now that Cloud was leading him through the crowds again, it allowed the silverette to glance at what might have been the cause. He couldn’t see anything that would have startled the blonde into such a rushed action but he did make a mental note of the surroundings.

Unlike Carrigan, Cloud didn’t apologize to anybody as he shoved his way through. The only real thing the people around him could do was glare with hopes that the man didn’t see them. The malevolent aura from him was painfully obvious, and some of the people even gave Carrigan looks of sympathy when they realized that he was being dragged against his own will. Just seeing that familiar face put Cloud in a horrible mood and Carrigan sensed it. As a result he kept his mouth shut of his complaints. He didn’t want to worsen Cloud’s mood, especially when it could possibly result in his death. He could only give the offended people a look of apology.

One woman didn’t get that apologetic look though. When Cloud unknowingly collided with her, she was about to glare at him with a snarky remark but something stopped her from doing so. Carrigan didn’t see her as he was too busy with silently expressing his regret to somebody else. They quickly disappeared from her sight but not her mind. After a moment of thought, she sauntered away, satisfied that she finally knew the answer to the change in the air she felt earlier that day.

After what seemed like hours to Carrigan, they finally arrived at their destination. The silverette flinched after one look at it. Although it seemed like any other normal motel with its two-story structure, Carrigan liked the vibe it was giving off. It seemed too seedy to him as he made out some questionable markings on its dirty gray walls. He wanted to ask Cloud to go somewhere else, but that venomous air still clung to the blonde. He really had no choice but to follow him as Cloud still held on painfully tight. To his surprise Cloud didn’t go to the receptionist where he presumed that they would register a room. Instead the serial killer yanked Carrigan upstairs. A man in an orange shirt and blue overalls was in the process of pushing his cart of supplies when he saw them. Carrigan watched as he opened his mouth to say something before flinching from some unknown source. The man muttered something under his breath as he attempted to leave quickly. Cloud paid no attention to the nervous cleaner. He stopped right in front of a door. Fishing in his pocket he pulled out a key to unlock the room and stepped inside. It was only until they were both inside the room did Cloud finally let go of Carrigan’s hand.

The CEO immediately rubbed his wrist to get the blood circulating again. He eyed the room carefully for any suspicious signs that merited their move. Fortunately for him, there were none. The room seemed quaint enough despite his first misgivings about the exterior of the motel. Though it was still raining when they came in, gray light lit the room through the white curtains of the large window. Two armchairs faced him with their backs to said window and a small table between them. The table had a bucket with a plastic bag. Two small nightstands, each with its own lamp, stood on either side of the bed with a nice pattern to its sheets. Two scenery portraits hung on the wall atop of the bed. There was also a TV that they could watch while on the bed should they get bored. Carrigan noted that the closet near the door held some hooks and this strange contraption. Cloud took one of the hooks and stormed into what Carrigan presumed to be the bathroom as he heard the door closing. He himself walked to the chairs. He was about to sit down in one of the chairs to relax when he froze.

There was only one bed in this room. And there were two of them.

…

…

…

“Your face is all red,” a voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Carrigan looked up only to feel the heat Cloud was talking about multiply tenfold. The serial killer stood just outside the bathroom wiping his blonde hair with a hand towel. No matter how hard he tried, Cloud couldn’t stop his spiky hair from rising again. Yet that wasn’t Carrigan’s main concern at the moment. He was too busy gawking at Cloud’s finely toned body. His eyes fixed on the rough signs of muscle as well as the tall-tell sign of a bullet injury to his shoulder. He started slightly when he realized that Cloud never had the bullet removed. He quickly tore his eyes away from that injury for a more preferable view. No problem there. The young man probably would have continued staring for the rest of the day if Cloud didn’t interrupt him. “Like what you see?” the serial killer smirked.

“W-What? No!” Carrigan sputtered in obvious denial. He quickly looked away as he plopped down in the chair. He tried to resist the temptation of peeking another glance. The young man eventually had to cover his eyes despite his focus still on the ground. There was so much warmth radiating from his face right now, he shamefully noticed. “Just…just put your shirt back on! Please!”

Cloud chuckled, “I would, but it’s too wet and I would rather sleep on something dry.”

“Sleep?” Carrigan looked up in surprise. He fixed his attention on Cloud’s face but his face still heated up at the knowledge of what was underneath. He gave a brief glare at the serial killer’s smirk before asking, “You’re going to sleep at this time of the day?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“No, but…” the silverette paused. He wondered whether he should ask Cloud about the sleeping arrangements when the time came that both would be sleeping. He had a sinking feeling what the answer would be but he had to make sure. “Are…are you sleeping on the bed?” He mentally berated himself as that wasn’t the question he wanted to ask.

“Where else would I be sleeping? On the floor?” Cloud retorted as he tossed his towel behind him. When the blonde moved to the bed, Carrigan could see that the towel had landed semi-neatly on the sink. He refocused his attention back on the serial killer who had already lain on the bed, his bare back facing the CEO. Cloud opted out of the sheets.

“What about me?”

“…” Cloud twisted his neck to raise an eyebrow at his acquaintance. “…what about you?”

“If you take the bed, where would I sleep?”

“…the floor’s always an option. Or even the chairs,” Cloud smirked.

Carrigan’s brow furrowed together in that familiar glower. He never felt like he would be giving the evil eye this many times, yet Cloud always managed to get that out of him. From that smug look on the serial killer’s face, he knew that Cloud enjoyed seeing him like this. “Are you crazy? The floor could be really dirty and the chairs would be uncomfortable as beds!”

“So what are you going to do about it?” the older man sat up. He tilted his head to the side, a small smile lighting his face. If Carrigan didn’t hate him this much right now, he would sheepishly admit to anybody how attractive Cloud was looking. “Are you going to start crying like how you did at the graveyard? Not like that pitiful sight would change my mind.”

“No, I won’t,” Carrigan bristled. “I’m not crying now, and I won’t be crying in the future! You’re never going to see me cry like that again! Ever!”

Cloud shrugged, the boy’s voice rising in volume not really affecting him too much. “So you say. But you’d cry again soon enough. And I’ll be sure to relish that moment even more than I did today.” The serial killer flopped back on the bed to turn over. He chuckled quietly to himself as he recalled how he saw Carrigan sobbing in the graveyard. He figured it had something to do with the funeral procession judging how intently the CEO stared at it. Frankly though Cloud didn’t give a damn. The reason for Carrigan’s grief wasn’t important but the satisfaction that the serial killer felt when he saw his former victim’s pathetic state was. He was confident that he would be able to see more vulnerable moments like that from Carrigan. He just had to be patient and the time would come. For now he should focus on getting some much needed sleep.

While Cloud tried to doze off, Carrigan crossed his arms and fumed at Cloud’s answer. There was absolutely no way he was going to sleep on the floor. Although the chair was comfortable, Carrigan didn’t want to sleep on it. He was very used to a bed, and he didn’t want anything less. Unfortunately the only bed in here was occupied by his murderer. He could go ask for a different room. Then he wouldn’t have to deal with Cloud and his insults every day. He would even get his own bed to sleep on. However that cost money, which he didn’t have at the current moment. It was pretty novel experience for him, not having any money. That social necessity made Carrigan wonder how was Cloud able to book this place when he didn’t show any signs of having currency. He guessed correctly that Zelda had something to do with it.

If that was the case, he then pondered the reason why Cloud didn’t get a room with two beds. Was it really that hard to ensure that they were separated as much as possible without the need of two separate rooms? After some thought he came up with the two reasons of either there were no more rooms like that available or Cloud was just saving money. He hoped it was the former but the latter seemed more logical seeing how the serial killer didn’t seem to care about what happened to the CEO. As if the blonde needed to get that point across anymore.

Carrigan heaved a heavy sigh. There didn’t seem to be any other way around it. If he wanted to be comfortable sleeping, he would have to get over his discomfort of sharing the bed with his killer. Carrigan wasn’t at all against sharing beds. He had pleaded with his sister at times to sleep with her when nightmares plagued him. But this situation was entirely different. He was going to sleep right next to the man who had killed him and his sister in cold blood. The fear of Cloud possibly slicing his throat in his sleep suddenly struck him. Carrigan’s heart actually skipped a beat at that scenario that fearfully played in his mind. He quickly had to reassure himself that that wouldn’t happen, that Zelda would make sure that wouldn’t happen.

Speaking of the Overseer, the silverette questioned whether they would see her again. He felt some small pangs of regret at him running out on her. He sensed that she had some important things to tell them, things that she undoubtedly told Cloud. This would put Carrigan in a seriously unfavorable position as Cloud could choose to withhold important information, information that could very well save his life. Somehow Carrigan felt that Cloud wouldn’t do that but he didn’t want to risk it. He hoped that he would be able to contact Zelda in some way but it didn’t seem like they would communicate anytime soon. If he wanted to know what’s up now, he would have to ask Cloud. And that was something he wasn’t looking forward to.

Nor was he looking forward to sleeping in the same bed with him at night. Carrigan made a mental note to keep to his side of the bed as much as possible. He also told himself to wake up earlier than Cloud to ensure that the serial killer didn’t know about them sharing the bed. He didn’t need Cloud to push him off the bed in the middle of the night. The man would get a kick out of that, Carrigan was sure.

Finally dealing with his dilemma of sleeping quarters, Carrigan wondered what he should do now. He wasn’t at all sleepy, and he was certain that Cloud wouldn’t allow him to go off on his own. The silverette could watch TV but he wasn’t sure how heavy of a sleeper the serial killer was. He didn’t need Cloud to be pissed at him for waking him up with the sounds of a random show. So what was there for him to do? Carrigan’s wandering eyes then caught the bucket. Thinking back to when his family took vacations, he would sometimes accompany his father to get ice. At the mere memory of that Carrigan could feel the tears pricking his eyes again. Despite Cloud being asleep and having no chance of seeing him cry the young man quickly wiped his eyes to stop the waterworks. He drove that memory away to prevent himself from crying anymore. He didn’t want to wallow in his self-pity anymore than he should. Carrigan might as well prove himself useful and get some ice for the time being. He would cross the bridge of what to do after completing the simple chore later.

He looked around for the key before seeing it on the nightstand on Cloud’s side. He’d need that to get back. He wondered when exactly did Cloud put it there before surmising that it must have been when he went to the bathroom. Carrigan then checked on the serial killer. He could tell from the stillness of the body that the serial killer finally fell asleep, yet Cloud’s stationary form gave him chills. For some reason he was reminded of a corpse even when it was clear that there was some life in the older man. The silverette stood up and silently made his way to the nightstand with the container in hand. All the while his muscles tensed in fear that Cloud might wake up. Thankfully he got to the nightstand with no trouble. Carrigan grabbed the key and was about to leave when he was struck by Cloud’s sleeping face.

People usually had a peaceful expression when sleeping. Sleep often ensured safety and relaxation for the participants. However there were no signs of safety or relaxation for Cloud. Instead his teeth clenched together tightly as his brow knitted together ever so slightly. His fingers twitched randomly and Carrigan could see Cloud’s pupils moving rapidly underneath his eyelids. Although the blonde had stated that he wanted to sleep in a dry place, the silverette noted how much the sleeper was perspiring. He at first thought that Cloud simply neglected to towel his wet body down but no. Though he didn’t want to admit it, Carrigan had studied Cloud’s body enough to know that he was dry when he lay on the bed. His current damp state was because of his sweat, not the rain.

Carrigan was tempted to reach out in order to feel Cloud’s temperature. However he quickly pulled away before touching the older man. He really didn’t want to wake Cloud up to face his wrath. He was better off leaving the serial killer alone. Yet Carrigan couldn’t leave him like this. Even if he wanted to he just couldn’t. It wasn’t in his nature to do so. He bitterly wondered what he could do to ease Cloud’s paralyzed tension. The sight of the bucket in his hands gave him an idea. Carrigan quietly hurried away to finish his initial errand in order to start on his next task. Yet he had to wonder to himself why he was rushing to help Cloud. After all he was certain that the serial killer wouldn’t return the favor anytime soon. If anything, this would just result in more insults from the man should he find out. Carrigan sighed to himself, predicting all the trials he would soon face because he was saddled with his serial killer. They were most definitely not going to get along if their past interactions were anything to judge off on. He could tell that their argument today was just one of the few many arguments that would undoubtedly come into fruition. Yeah, things were definitely not looking any brighter for the both of them. But Carrigan knew that he would suck it up and deal with it. He just had to. For the sake of his family, he would do this.

As the sound of the door clicked shut, Cloud slowly opened his eyes. He blinked nonchalantly when he saw silver creature with wings floating in front of him. A single green eye in the mouth of a dragon stared intently at the serial killer. It flapped its large wings once, twice, and dove towards the man with its deathly black claws stretched for his eyes. While Cloud barely flinched, he held his breath in anticipation of what was to come. He thought his heart might stop and let him die again.

That wasn’t the case. He blinked once more before realizing that the creature was gone. He wasn’t conscious of his sigh of relief, one he exhaled immediately afterward. Cloud didn’t move from his spot and when a few seconds passed, he closed his eyes to drift off into another troubled sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. First off, congratulations, Ginta! Although I know I told you that I'll be publishing this around this month, I wanted to try and get it out before the big day. I succeeded...ish...Consider this surprisingly early chapter as a graduation present or whatever to you. Wish you good luck for your future.
> 
> 2\. The opportunity that was so miraculously given that Carrigan was talking about is pretty much a reference to this whole story. If Ginta didn't go divine intervention, Carrigan would still be dead and Cloud would still be alive now . So they have Ginta to thank for their troubles. And me, of course.
> 
> 3\. The janitor is a reference to Eario of "Brawl in the Family", who first appears in comic 271. He's the janitor of the Mushroom Kingdom who cleans up after Mario punches them bricks. He then goes on a little adventure when he sees Mario pass by. It's a really nice story. If you haven't read BitF, you're missing out. Go read it after this. Go. Do it.
> 
> 4\. And...the motel room, I slammed my head multiple times on my desk before I could continue writing. Hope you're happy, Ginta! But really, Cloud's bullet wound is from the prequel of this story. If you guys haven't figured it out yet, Ryu was the one who shot him there when he tried to arrest him.
> 
> 5\. For the creature that appears in the end, picture the Infernal Demon Fury of Bayonetta 2 and you would get a good idea of what Cloud saw. Needless to say, not a pretty thing to wake up to. I changed its coloration just because! Naw, I had a legit reason to change it. It's a pretty easy thing to solve if you think about it.
> 
> And there we go! And it only took me three or so days to write it all up! That's...actually pretty quick considering how long I like to take with my chapters...well, hope it's good and it lived up to your standards, dudes. I'm gonna go ahead and go to sleep like Cloud. Just hope that I don't meet the same guy as Cloud...


	5. You're Definitely Not Me

Carrigan's initial two plans regarding the sleeping arrangements were one, he would stay on his side of the bed, and two, he would wake up earlier than Cloud. Unfortunately he was only able to follow one of those rules. When those ruby eyes opened up the next day, they widened even further when they registered the black clothing belonging to a certain somebody. Carrigan even felt the soft fabric of the clothing on his forearms. The warmth that he sensed from sleeping close to Cloud suddenly increased tenfold, making his face feel like it was on fire. His instincts screamed at him to shove the serial killer away from him. However his muscles refused to move as his mind blanked from any rational thought. It was a good thing that he didn't react quickly. Otherwise his abrupt movements might have woken up Cloud.

After another moment of waiting frozen for any reaction, Carrigan finally regained control of his limbs. The young man inhaled slowly to calm his jagged nerves before slowly rolling on his back to his right. He easily reached the edge and slid off the bed. Once his feet hit the floor Carrigan immediately scrabbled away in case Cloud happened to wake up suddenly. The serial killer didn't, fortunately for the silverette. He breathed a sigh of relief at how he was able to avoid discovery.

Now that he was away from the danger, Carrigan felt a bit foolish for being so fearful. His brain told him that there was little chance of Cloud waking up yet his instincts had screamed at him how he would be exposed at any second. He learned yesterday how heavy of a sleeper Cloud could be when he brought back the bucket of ice. When he proceeded to wipe down the perspiring body of the serial killer (attempting his hardest not to blush), Cloud barely moved a muscle. Carrigan had lightly touched Cloud's forehead but felt no signs of a fever. So his errand was pretty much for naught then. Carrigan shook his head to drive away the memory. That didn't stop a chill from running down his spine as the silverette was suddenly plagued with the curiosity of what the serial killer could possibly do to him should he find out. Though it was possible that the blonde wouldn't care at all that they were sharing the bed, Carrigan didn't want to risk it. He was better off having Cloud not knowing.

Since Carrigan had no desire to wake the serial killer up just yet and be subjected to the usual mockery, he tiptoed his way to the bathroom. The young man figured that he had some time to take a quick shower. He would have preferred a bath, but those definitely took longer than showers and he didn't want to spend too much time in there. Unlike yesterday Carrigan chose not to look at Cloud once he passed the still figure. He closed the door before stripping himself of his clothes. He placed them on the towel handle bar to step into the tub. Pulling the curtain closed, Carrigan finally allowed the water from the faucet to rain on him, unmindful of how his hair was getting wet.

The sound of the falling water soothed him like it always did in the past. It gave him a moment's peace to contemplate about everything that happened so far again. Carrigan stared at the white ceiling with his brow furrowed in remembrance of yesterday's events. After getting some ice and checking on Cloud, the silverette had sat down in one of the chairs. He looked around for something to pass the time but nothing really came forth. It took him a while to gather some courage and turn on the TV. Fortunately captions were an option so he was able to set the volume as low as possible. Carrigan switched through the channels before stopping on a particular news station.

The young man barely heard what the reporter was saying as he numbly stared at the picture of one of his father's buildings, or at least what's left of it from the explosion. It looked exactly like how he first saw it how many years ago. Seeing it a second time didn't lessen the horrified paralysis Carrigan felt when he first saw the news. The question of _why_ had plagued him again as he couldn't tear his eyes away from the wreckage. If he had been listening, Carrigan might have turned the TV off right away. As a result he was surprised with two pictures depicting his father Anankos and his younger sister Lilith. The young man had felt the tears pricking his eyes once again at the reminder of how he was unable to save them. Although it was impossible due to their untimely arrival, Carrigan couldn't stop the guilt from constricting his chest. Wiping his tears away he had had to remind himself to breathe and futilely reassure himself that it wasn't his fault. That only caused his burden to grow when he remembered his unsuspectingly last moments with those two special people. With Lilith he was fine but he felt horrible with how he had refused to talk to his father anymore after their argument. At that moment he realized once again that if he never argued with his father, then he would have actually been able to save Lilith since she went to that meeting in his place. He would be the one dead by now due to that explosion. His younger sister would still be alive.

But would Lilith be the one in his position now? He had a depressing feeling that that wouldn't be the case at all. Not that Lilith would be sitting in this chair contemplating what went wrong in life. No, Carrigan was certain that Lilith would have had arrested Cloud once she discovered that he was Corrin's true murderer. The feeling tightened in his chest even more when he bitterly thought how much more quickly Lilith would have solved that mystery than he did.

_Thanks to the efforts of now-deceased police officer Z-._

Just as the reporter showed a picture of a black-haired young man, Carrigan had switched the TV off. He didn't want to be reminded of that tragedy any more than he had to be. He looked around for something else to do when a familiar teal aura appeared in the room. Once he focused on the mysterious miasma, it disappeared to leave the Overseer of Purgatrury standing before him. She smiled softly at the silverette in a comforting effort.

"Hello there, Carrigan. Are you well?"

"I'm managing," Carrigan had replied ruefully. At his tone, Zelda dropped her smile. She looked over at the sleeping Cloud.

"So I see. Again, I truly am sorry for forcing this upon you."

"It's fine, Zelda. Really. And you didn't force anything on me. I made my own choice when I accepted your proposal." It felt strange for Carrigan to reassure a being more powerful than him. He didn't really expect a deity to be so worried about lesser beings than itself.

"Even so, I will not deny that I still have my doubts whether this is the right thing to do. So many things could go wrong if we are not careful."

"What are we supposed to do exactly?"

"Has Cloud not told you?" Zelda had inquired despite knowing the answer. When Carrigan shook his head, she sighed. "I should have known that Cloud would leave you in the dark. I shall explain it for you then. Again, your main mission is to stop Cloud from becoming a serial killer. In order to do that, I am afraid that you and Cloud must do everything in your power to kill the terrorists who put Cloud on that path to begin with."

Carrigan's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected news. "W-wait a minute! Isn't that the opposite of what we were supposed to do? I thought Cloud wasn't allowed to kill!"

"He isn't allowed to kill anybody who isn't involved in this situation and you. But he would not have a choice in this matter. I have already sought different approaches for him to take without going to such extremes. Unfortunately there was no other method. This is the only option open to him. If he truly wants to change his future, then Cloud must remove his evil influences."

"Then…am I supposed to kill them too?" Carrigan's voice almost choked when he had asked that question. Fear gripped his heart when he saw Zelda falter. The ensuing silence between them stretched too long for the silverette's liking. It seemed like an eternity passed before the deity finally gave her answer:

"…I am afraid you may have to should that time comes. Though I truly hope that you would not have to stain your hands with blood the same way that Cloud would."

"Oh…" So there was a chance where he would have to take a life. Carrigan shared Zelda's hope of not having to resort to that. He imagined himself holding a gun to a shadowy figure, his hands trembling to keep his grip on the weapon. His hands had then begun to sweat at that scenario, and he knew that if the opportunity presented itself to him, he wouldn't be able to pull the trigger.

"Carrigan…Carrigan…Carrigan!" Zelda's firm voice snapped the young man out of his daydream. The silverette shook his head to clear it before looking at the Overseer curiously. He noticed the concern clear on her face. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I was just thinking…"

"I see…" Her tone left no doubt that she didn't really believe him but she would drop that topic anyways. "I must ask once more. Are you certain you truly understand the consequences of this mission? Do you still accept this despite what you may have to face afterwards?"

Carrigan remembered how he had immediately answered with confidence that he was still willing to go through regardless of the outcomes. However, now he was able to fully dwell on those costs with little distraction.

_If we succeed, then what would exactly happen to us? Would both of us disappear? Considering how we belong to a future timeline and we would change our past soon, it's either we're going to disappear or change to factor in what happened. Even though Zelda had told us that we would return back into the afterlife, I can't help but think that it's more likely that we're going to cease to exist. Would I be able to handle that? …I…think I could…I believe I could…it's not like there was any future for me to begin with after Corrin died…and would it really be so bad to disappear? I mean…in a sense I would still be living…right?_

Carrigan's head snapped up when he heard the bathroom door opening, making him freeze in place. He could just make out the outline of an older man walking towards the sink. His face heated up once again at the realization of Cloud walking in on him. If the blood kept rushing to his head like it's doing as of late, Carrigan felt that a nosebleed and faint weren't far behind. He wondered to himself whether the serial killer was even aware that the bathroom was already occupied. Immediately afterward Carrigan bitterly thought that Cloud did know but he simply didn't care. This was just another way for the serial killer to torment his companion. The young man berated himself for not locking the door to a supposedly private room. It was out of habit, as he never cared if his older sister or mother walked in on him. But this was Cloud, the serial killer who brought all of this on both of them. There was no blood relationship between them that merited such actions. Not to mention that he was another man. Though Carrigan wasn't new to the unwanted attentions of other men, none of them went to this extent.

He heard a quiet yawn as the sounds of the mirrored cabinet opening also reached his ears. The silverette continued to ignore the water falling on him in tense anticipation of what the serial killer was going to do next. He saw the shadow moving to grab a few things before he heard the tall-tell noise of bristles against teeth. How long was Cloud going to even be in here? The question struck Carrigan like a bolt of lightning. He silently prayed to Zelda that Cloud would quickly finish his business and leave. Despite the desperate plea every second that passed seemed like an eternity to the young man. He could barely move let alone scrub himself like he had initially planned.

After 3000 years passed Carrigan finally heard the sounds of Cloud finishing up. He saw the shadow move to put some of the things away before sighing in relief. Perhaps now Cloud would leave. No such luck.

"So how long were you planning to hog the shower to yourself?" came the snarky voice that Carrigan was growing to hate. The young man flinched at that before instinctively covering himself futilely with his arms. He had a wild fear of the serial killer suddenly pulling the shower curtain aside to leave him vulnerable. Fortunately for Carrigan, Cloud didn't go that far but the serial killer still faced the curtain with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. The shower drops constantly punctured the tense silence that hung in the air. Eventually, once Carrigan was sure that Cloud wouldn't expose him, he turned the faucet off. The silverette reached for one of the towels.

When Cloud saw the wet arm searching for the towel, he wondered whether he should move the wanted item farther away, just to tease the silverette. However he quickly changed his mind and allowed Carrigan to snatch it. He heard some quick rustling before his companion finally revealed himself. The serial killer smirked in amusement at the embarrassment and irritation on Carrigan's face. The younger man stepped away from the tub with the towel wrapped around his waist. He attempted to ignore Cloud's sadistic leer as he grabbed his clothes to leave. He hurried towards the exit.

Only to have his heart skip a beat when he felt the towel falling from his waist. Carrigan gasped loudly as he floundered to grab the cloth. However he dropped his clothes in the process. In his moment of confusion everything in his hands left to lay on the floor. His ears reddened when he heard Cloud snickering behind him. Carrigan had no doubt that it was Cloud who caused his towel to fall. Why couldn't the serial killer just leave him alone? Sure, he took a while in the shower, but he didn't do anything to merit this wicked action! The silverette scurried to gather everything on the ground, trying his best to ignore the blonde behind him. Once he straightened up, this time with a hand clutching the towel firmly in place and clothes in the other arm, Carrigan glared at Cloud leaning against the sink. Not even the dark circles under Cloud's eyes could dissuade the younger man from glaring but his passing thoughts did wonder about it for the briefest moment.

"What the heck did you do that for?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow at the trembling in the silverette's voice. He remembered how Carrigan had boldly proclaimed that he wasn't going to see him cry again. Yet here he was with tears in the corner of his eyes so close to falling even if he was doing his best to hold it in. Cloud simply smirked in enjoyment as he crossed his arms for an answer. When Carrigan realized that Cloud wasn't replying anytime soon, the silverette turned towards the door again.

"Pervert…" Cloud heard Carrigan muttered under his breath.

"As if. There's nothing to see," the serial killer snarked. He smiled again to himself when he saw Carrigan flinch. The young man slammed the door behind him, allowing Cloud to actually lock the door for privacy. Now he could take that shower he wanted. And unlike Carrigan, he wasn't going to take forever.

When Cloud left the bathroom refreshed, he found Carrigan sitting in his usual chair, fists clenched tightly on his knees. The serial killer couldn't help but smirk when he noticed that Carrigan had already put on his clothes in order to go outside. The silverette looked up to scowl at the leering blonde but didn't say anything. Not like Cloud wanted him to say something in the first place. The less he talked, Carrigan knew, the better it was for the both of them, mainly him. He watched as the serial killer moved to the closet to get his own clothes. Once Cloud started to pull his shirt off, Carrigan quickly eyed the ground. Despite that he still felt his face heating up as his imagination took a turn for the worst. He squeezed his eyes shut in hopes that he could retain some of his decency. It worked a little bit before his stupid brain changed its mind.

"Are you planning to sit there daydreaming like a fangirl all day?" Cloud asked the obviously embarrassed silverette. Carrigan looked up to see Cloud waiting by the door. His face flushed in irritation at the insult as he stood up to hurry over. Although he wanted to defend himself he sealed his mouth shut to avoid anymore verbal abuse. He ignored Cloud's pointed look by staring at the door. The serial killer shrugged at the lack of answer before opening the exit. At least, Carrigan thought to himself, Cloud was gracious enough to let him leave the room before locking it behind him. The pair silently walked down the stairs with no janitor to stare at them.

Cloud seemed to know where he was going. Carrigan wasn't so sure. In fact he had no idea what their first move was. He assumed that it was to gather intelligence about the terrorists since it was best to know who and what they were up against. But how exactly were they going to do that? Judging by the group's expert actions it was obvious that finding anything about them would prove to be extremely difficult. Not impossible, just extremely difficult. Carrigan wondered whether his companion had a plan in order to get what they needed. He was sauntering around confidently enough.

Carrigan blinked in surprise when he followed Cloud into the lobby of the motel. He found the little detour strange as he didn't expect any of the motel employees to know what they wanted and Cloud made it clear yesterday how quickly he wanted to get this over with. Carrigan shivered when he caught the smiling expression of the young man he assumed to be the manager of the establishment, though the number 4 shirt he had on might have said otherwise. The smile seemed nice enough but something about it just screamed "creepy!" to Carrigan. The silverette turned his attention back to Cloud so he didn't have to stare at the manager any longer. Cloud had entered a spacious room with a delicious aroma. His companion wondered what purpose the serial killer had in there before noticing the words "Free Continental Breakfast" on the sign just outside the room.

He was a bit surprised actually that Cloud didn't forget about the most important meal of the day. For some reason he thought of Cloud as being one of those people who easily skipped breakfast without a care. Perhaps it was because of the way Cloud treated him. He wanted more reasons to justify his hatred for the serial killer. Petty but Carrigan couldn't help it. He shook those troublesome thoughts away to follow his companion. However he jumped slightly when Cloud rushed out of the room without another thought. He noticed the bagel in the serial killer's hand along with a coffee cup. Carrigan then realized that if he didn't hurry, Cloud wouldn't mind leaving him behind. The young man quickly grabbed his own breakfast bagel with a water bottle before hurrying after the serial killer.

The pair left the lobby as wordlessly as they came in, Carrigan a few steps behind Cloud. However their breakfast contributed to their silence this time, not their dislike of interacting with each other. Wrapped in their thoughts they wandered around the city. The two soon finished their breakfast though Carrigan still had some of his water left. With that finally out of the way, Carrigan inhaled deeply to gather his courage. He didn't want to ask Cloud but at this rate he would never know what the serial killer had planned when it was vital for him to know.

"What are we going to do now?" he asked. "We can't wander the streets without a plan."

Cloud stopped walking though he didn't turn around. He only looked over his shoulder with a cursory glance. "I know what I'm doing. You, I'm not so sure."

Carrigan crossed his arms and inhaled sharply to keep himself calm. The day had barely started and he already forgot how many times Cloud had pissed him off. His anger settled down a bit, thank goodness. He didn't want to cause a huge scene out in the streets. "Then what exactly are you doing?" Carrigan huffed in irritation.

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because whether you like it or not, we have to work together, Cloud!" The silverette failed at some points in his sentence to keep his voice down. Somehow Cloud knew how to really get under Carrigan's skin as if it was effortless for him. Although this attracted some strange looks towards them, the two males were too busy staring each other down. Carrigan continued, "I won't be able to help you properly if you don't let me know things!"

Cloud paused to consider those words. He finally turned around, hiding an amused chuckle at the silverette's flushed expression. "You won't be able to help me even if I told you everything," Cloud sneered. "You're only going to be a liability."

"You don't know that! You didn't even give me a chance!"

"I don't need to. I already know how useless you're going to be from our time together when we were looking for your sister."

"You knew where she was the whole time!"

"So? Doesn't change the fact that you didn't aid our investigation whatsoever during our search. You were only allowed to tag along because my former boss had said it was okay. Even then you barely helped us. You just stood there taking up space and air without so much as lifting a finger to speed up our search. If you actually did something other than whine, then maybe you would have been able to save your sister. But you didn't. You failed to do anything while your sister screamed for you to save her. You couldn't do anything while your sister died. And you only have yourself to blame for that.

"Face it, Carrigan. You're worthless."

Carrigan flinched as if Cloud had physically struck him. For some reason those two short statements hurt more than the whole speech Cloud had said prior. If anything, a physical attack might have been less painful than the emotional agony stabbing at his heart. He could feel the tears wanting to fall again at the memory of his sister's corpse. His eyes blinked rapidly to stop them. He hardened his stare despite it never really affecting Cloud. "If I was worthless," his voice choked slightly on the word but Cloud didn't seem to notice, "then I wouldn't be needed here. Yet Zelda still asked me to watch you."

"Well, you're not needed here. So, by your logic, you're still worthless. And if Zelda wanted somebody to watch me, she should have sent somebody with the capability to actually be of some help. Not a bratty piece of trash like you."

"You…" He clenched his fist tightly. "You're a real dastard, you know that?!" Carrigan yelled as he turned to run in the opposite way they were heading. Cloud simply watched the head of silver disappear in the crowd before shrugging indifferently. Though he heard the whispers spreading rumors like wildfire, he could care less about what these strangers thought of him. He started to walk in his initial direction again before Carrigan so rudely cut him off. If the silverette had waited a bit longer and not start a fight with the blonde, maybe he would have learned what Cloud had in mind. Yet Zelda refused to leave things as they were. She couldn't, especially since both persons were important to the mission.

"Cloud, you must go and get Carrigan."

"Why? It's not like he's going to help me gather information."

"That is because you did not give him a chance."

"I didn't need to. I already know he's not going to be of any help whatsoever."

"Cloud…" There was a threatening tone in the deity's voice that Cloud was becoming familiar with.

The serial killer sighed as he rubbed his temples. His companion of a brat was causing more trouble than he was worth. Why couldn't Cloud just go find the information he needed then go look for Carrigan? What he said was right after all. Carrigan couldn't do anything on his own. He would always need help from the serial killer. And he was only going to slow him down whether he wanted to or not. Yet he knew that Zelda wouldn't stop nagging him if he didn't fetch the kid. Cloud muttered a curse under his breath as he turned around to follow after Carrigan. He promised himself that after this whole fiasco was over, he was going to give Carrigan a suitable punishment for all of this.

Meanwhile Carrigan found himself rushing through the crowds again. This time however he had no set destination to go to. Sure, he could try to go back to the motel, but even Cloud was cruel enough not to give him the second set of keys he needed to return to their room. So the young man had no choice but to flee aimlessly until something stopped him in his tracks.

Although Carrigan tried to run as fast as he could, he couldn't stop Cloud's words from assaulting him every few seconds. The thought of those biting words tightened his chest, almost stopping his breathing completely. He had to mentally remind himself to take a breath every now and then.

How dare he?! How dare Cloud say all those things?! Although Carrigan wouldn't deny that all those statements were true, he still couldn't help but feel extremely hurt that Cloud would say all of those. Something about it being out in the open made it hurt even more than he thought it should. Perhaps because somebody else had agreed with him that he wasn't of any help to anybody even if he wanted to be. Though his sister and mother had said otherwise in his past life, Carrigan couldn't stop those negative feelings from resurfacing every time he failed something. He wanted to change. He really did. But how could he when Cloud wouldn't even give him a much-needed chance? Because he was just going to mess up again. He could be given a hundred chances. He would fail each and every one of them.

He was so wrapped up with his thoughts that he didn't see that he was running right into a man holding some boxes. The first sign of it was the shocking impact of Carrigan bumping into the stranger. While the stranger barely moved, Carrigan fell backwards and onto his butt. The collison cleared him of his depressing thoughts in favor of the current pain.

"Ow…" Carrigan muttered to himself. He rubbed his sore bottom, wincing slightly.

"Whoa! Sorry! Are you all right?"

At the familiarity of the voice, Carrigan froze. He didn't want to look up at the owner yet his stupid curiosity got the better of him. The silverette actually flinched when he caught sight of the person he bumped into, his eyes widening in obvious shock.

"Did I hurt you?" Cloud asked. He looked at the younger man in obvious concern, his blue eyes searching for any signs of injury. He moved to reach out and help Carrigan up but hesitated at the boxes in his arms. He finally placed them to the side before holding out his hand to the fallen silverette. "Sorry about that. I didn't see you there," he chuckled.

Carrigan hesitantly took Cloud's hand though he was still in his trance. He could barely believe his eyes. It seemed too unnatural for Cloud to be this kind. He blinked rapidly to make sure it wasn't a dream. When Cloud pulled him up, Carrigan was still staring at him with his mouth slightly agape. Cloud frowned. He rubbed his face slightly as he let go of the stranger's hand.

"Is there something on my face?" he asked.

At the question, Carrigan shook his head. He finally got over his initial shock and tried to examine the Cloud in front of him without making it too awkward. Now that he got a closer look, he was certain that this wasn't the same Cloud he was used to. Though they shared the same spiky, blonde hair, this Cloud had one spike that was longer than the rest. His eyes were also a brilliant blue while the eyes belonging to Carrigan's Cloud seemed to glow with an unnatural electricity. But the most important difference was the attitude they showed. This Cloud did not seem to have any of the malice that Carrigan's Cloud usually displayed.

"Sorry…you just look like somebody I know," Carrigan finally responded. He had to wonder to himself if this Cloud was actually his Cloud's past self. If it was, the contrast was seriously unnerving. He couldn't possibly fathom what could have happened that caused Cloud to change from this nice man to a sadistic killer.

"Oh, okay then. Just curious. But you are all right, right? You took a pretty nasty fall there." The concerned look returned. Again, with a face so similar to the serial killer that cause him so much pain, it seemed so abnormal for Carrigan to see Cloud display any sympathetic emotion. It was very jarring.

The silverette nodded. "I'm fine. Thank you…"

"Cloud," he held out a hand to shake. Carrigan stared at the gloved hand for a moment before grasping it. He didn't really want to believe it, but he did say his name was Cloud…

"I'm Ca…" Carrigan trailed off when how close he was to making a grave mistake. He remembered at the last minute that Zelda had warned him about keeping their identities a secret. After all it would prove to be troublesome to have two people with the exact same name with the exact same appearance wandering the streets. He had to think up of a different name on the spot. It couldn't be "Corrin" either. So what would it be? After a moment's hesitation, he finally decided.

"I'm Kamui. I'm sorry for bumping into you."

"Naw, it was my fault. I wasn't looking," Cloud gave a toothy grin before turning to his initial concern. He picked the boxes up and walked to the open car in order to put them in. Carrigan watched for a while before he looked back to where Cloud had come from. He couldn't help but smile when he recognized the building to be a flower shop. There were vases holding colorful blossoms just outside the door. If he looked farther in, Carrigan was sure that he would be able to see more of those sweet flowers. He was suddenly assaulted with a wanting of buying one of the beautiful plants but he reminded himself that it was impossible. He had no money on him, and he doubted that his Cloud would consent to buying a bloom.

"Did you just open this place?" Carrigan asked when Cloud returned. He had searched his memory for signs of this place but he couldn't find any. Cloud shook his head.

"My friend did. I was just helping her clean up. I should be reporting in for work though," the past Cloud muttered to himself as he scratched his head. His police uniform had not escaped Carrigan's notice. So it seemed that Cloud was a police officer even before he turned into a serial killer. That was interesting to note, and again making it strange for Cloud to even turn to breaking the law in the first place. "Even though she just got started, want to buy something? It'd be nice if you were her first customer."

"Oh! I…" before Carrigan could continue, he felt something grab his wrist. He was suddenly pulled away from the nice, friendly Cloud basically to face the scarier, meaner Cloud. Carrigan actually flinched at the glare his Cloud was giving him. It paled in comparison to all the other glowers he received prior. He winced slightly when the familiar, steel grasp tightened its hold on him.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Cloud snarled. He seriously wanted to facepalm at Carrigan's stupidity. He couldn't have asked for anything worse to happen. The one thing he hoped to not happen throughout this whole mission, it had to happen. If Carrigan didn't run off like the whiny brat that he was, they wouldn't be in this situation. When Carrigan didn't answer, Cloud tightened his grip, earning a gasp of pain from his victim. "Well?"

"Hey, you shouldn't be doing that to him."

Carrigan saw the look of annoyance cross Cloud's face before those bright blue eyes left. Cloud looked at his past self with a bored expression. He hid a smirk when he saw the other jump slightly at the uncanny similarities between them. Now that he had a chance to properly take a look at the other guy…there was no way in Infernoz Cloud was claiming that that guy was the same as him.

"I wouldn't be doing this to him if he was being obedient like he was supposed to."

"Obedient…Kamui, was this the guy you were talking about who looks like me?"

"Kamui?" Cloud raised an eyebrow at that. He looked at Carrigan, who avoided his gaze. The serial killer hid a smirk. Well, at least the brat was smart enough not to give his real name. Yet it was still troublesome as now he would have to refer to him as "Kamui" instead of the "Carrigan" that he was used to. It was the same on Carrigan's end though, so Cloud wouldn't complain too much. Besides, he could care less about how he addressed "Kamui".

When "Kamui" didn't answer, Cloud looked at his doppelganger. He crossed his arms with a frown. "Who are you anyways? And why do you look like me?"

For the briefest moment, the serial killer wanted to say, "I'm you, but cooler." Yet he quickly drove that immature thought away to properly answer his past self's questions. "…Zack. And it should be why do _you_ look like _me_ , not the other way around."

Cloud frowned at that, partly from the name and partly from "Zack's" second statement. "Is there really a diff-that's not the point!" Cloud quickly shook his head. He pointed to "Zack" still holding onto "Kamui's" wrist. "You should stop that right now."

"What? You want us to get separated?" "Zack" said in a mocking hurt tone. "You know how busy the streets could get and the last thing I need is…Kamui running off again." He gave Carrigan a side glare though the younger man avoided his eyes. Cloud frowned but attempted to try again for the sake of the silverette. He didn't like how the relationship between these two strangers was turning out. If he could help it he'd try to make things better for the nice stranger he just met.

"Even so, do you really have to hold his wrist so tightly?"

"Yes."

"Couldn't you loosen it even for a bit?"

"No."

"Can't you tell that he's hurting?"

"Oh, is he now?" "Zack" looked at Carrigan again. "You should have said something then, _Kamui_."

Carrigan still refused to look at the serial killer. However he opened his mouth to try and speak. "It…it does hurt a bit…"

"But you're used to it now, aren't you?"

The silverette chose to ignore the shiver that went down his spine when "Zack" whispered that in his ear. He could only nod numbly in answer, his face heating up for some strange reason. He sensed his companion giving a satisfied smirk and a slight chuckle. Carrigan then knew that "Zack" had switched his attention back to his past self when the CEO didn't feel those eyes burning a hole in his head. He did feel a jolt of surprise through his body when he felt the blonde's grip loosen to let the blood flow again.

"Well, now that he's not hurting anymore," Carrigan heard "Zack" say to Cloud, "you don't have to bother yourself with my companion. We'll be taking our leave." He then felt the accustomed tug as "Zack" began to lead him away.

"Kamui, you don't have to go with him, you know."

Carrigan's heart leapt when "Zack" stopped walking when they heard those words. The silverette swallowed a nervous knot. Cloud was wrong. He did have to go with "Zack", even if he didn't want to. Well…Carrigan didn't want to go with the serial killer for the sake of going with him. He wanted to because in doing so he would be able to save his sister. And he honestly didn't want to drag anybody else in this, especially not Cloud.

"Thank you for your concern, Cloud," Carrigan finally said with a smile to the police officer, "but you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine with Zack, right?" He looked at the serial killer for confirmation. He saw the blank look "Zack" gave him before the serial killer smirked.

"Of course…"

Cloud still didn't seem very convinced. "Are you sure? If you need me…"

"I'll call you. Thank you, Cloud." Carrigan reached out to touch Cloud's arm in gratitude. However he felt another yank on his own arm, jerking him away. Carrigan turned around in surprise at "Zack's" sudden aggression but he couldn't see the serial killer's face. So he gave Cloud a quick wave before attempting to keep up with his companion so he didn't fall face first on the ground.

Cloud continued to stand there, pondering what just happened. For some reason he felt a strange connection with "Zack". Was it because that man looked almost exactly like him? Maybe it was because he had the same name as his dead friend? Cloud wasn't sure. However he was certain that he didn't like this sensation or that man at all. Even if he felt a connection with him, that didn't stop the police officer from being suspicious period. Whenever he looked into those electric eyes that almost mirrored his own, he felt like "Zack" was seizing him up for a kill. No, he was convinced "Zack" was looking for a way to murder him. He recognized those types of eyes, and he hoped that "Kamui" would be all right. Even though they seemed to have left on better terms, he still didn't like how their relationship had played out. He suspected that "Kamui" was covering up "Zack's" abuse to be spared of his wrath.

A slight ting snapped the police officer out of his thoughts. He looked over to where his friend peeked from her flower shop.

"Hey, Cloud. Were those two customers?"

"…naw. They just stopped by for a moment," he replied. "Do you need any more help, Aerith?"

The brunette hesitated for a moment as she stared at her friend in a thoughtful way. After a while, she finally smiled, "No, I'm pretty done here. Thanks for your help, Cloud."

"No problem."

Unfortunately, the past Cloud was right. As soon as "Zack" was certain that they were out of his past self's sight, he led Carrigan right into an alleyway. He grabbed Carrigan's shirt and slammed him against the wall. The silverette cried out in pain. He reflexively tried to escape, but Cloud had placed both arms on either side of him, trapping him. Carrigan felt his face flushing again, causing him to turn his head to the side. It didn't help when Cloud leaned in too close for his liking.

"You fucking brat. You just had to run off in that direction, didn't you?" Cloud snarled. Although his words shook Carrigan to his very core, the silverette gathered his courage to not be intimidated by Cloud's show of dominance. Though it took some time, he was finally able to bury his terror for a bit to retaliate.

"If you had told me the plan, then maybe I wouldn't have ran off!" Carrigan shouted back. His heart leapt in fear when Cloud fixed him with a fearsome glare.

"You didn't need to know the plan. You wouldn't have helped me anyways."

"Yes, I could have! We had to find information about the terrorists, right? I could still have asked around for it!"

"Don't you realize how stupid you sound? People aren't going to tell you what you want to know just because you ask them nicely."

"You don't know that!"

"Yes, I do. Things aren't handed to you on a silver platter, brat. You have to work for them."

"You think I don't know that?"

"Of course. After all, you're just an idiotic rich kid with no knowledge whatsoever of how the real world works out here. Without me, you would have been taken advantage of in the blink of an eye. And what would you do then? Scream pathetically for somebody who's never going to come rescue you?"

Carrigan yelped in pain when he felt something yank his hair. His head lifted up against his own will. He squeeze his eyes to futilely drive out the ache before opening them to see Cloud's sadistic smirk through his blurry vision.

"Maybe I could show you exactly what would happen if you cross me again?"

"Carrigan?"

The pair jumped slightly in surprise once they heard that. Cloud released his grip on Carrigan's hair, something the silverette was extremely grateful for. He didn't want to feel that humiliation again. Cloud had controlled him enough today. They both turned to the side to see a young woman standing a few feet away from them. The resemblance between her and the trapped male was uncanny. Perhaps if she had cut away her hair and aged a few more years, then people wouldn't be able to tell them apart at all. There was still enough similarities to mistaken them as twins, because they were supposed to be twins. Cloud and Carrigan recognized the woman at the same time, just as she stormed over to Cloud.

The serial killer growled at the familiar woman. He backed away from Carrigan, not because he was daunted by Corrin, but in order to step in front of Carrigan and bare her way. Although Cloud's glare was able to scare Carrigan into submission, it didn't work with his twin, or at least, her past self. Truth to be told, it didn't work when Cloud had initially kidnapped her either. She was scowling at him like she did in the past. Even if he was taller and stronger than her, Corrin didn't give a damn. If any of her family members were involved, you could be sure she wouldn't give in without a fight.

"Out of my way!"

"This is none of your business," Cloud retorted. He didn't want this bitch that gave him so much trouble back then to get a good look at his companion. If she did, who knew what would happen? Zelda had already told them that it was essential they kept their identities a secret. Although she didn't specify a reason for it, it still made sense since they ran into the possibility of running into their past selves like earlier.

"Yes, it is!" Corrin fumed. "What were you doing with my brother?!"

"He's not your brother," the serial killer answered semi-truthfully.

"You don't know that!"

If Cloud wasn't looking at Corrin say those words, he might have mistaken the speaker for Carrigan. He sensed Carrigan cowering behind him, doing his best to avoid his past sister's line of vision. When it finally became apparent to Corrin that Cloud wouldn't budge, the young woman tried to get around him. Unfortunately for her the serial killer paid close attention to all her movements and was able to stop all of her advances. He hid a smirk when he saw the frustration clear on her face. When she tried to dash under his arm for the last time, she finally snarled her vexation.

"Carrigan! Is that you?! Talk to me!"

"I told you! He's not your brother!"

"If he's not my brother, why doesn't he just show himself then? He wouldn't have anything to worry about!" Corrin shot back. "I know it's him! Why are you hiding him? If I find out that you did something to him, you're going to get it!"

"I'm seriously getting tired of this. For the last time, it's not your brother."

"I'm not leaving until you prove it!"

"Damn this stubborn bitch," Cloud muttered under his breath. He felt a weak punch from behind, letting him know that Carrigan had heard that remark. His patience already wearing thin from covering for Carrigan, he stepped to the side, fully exposing him to his sister.

"C-Cloud!" Carrigan squeaked in surprise. He didn't expect Cloud to give up just like that. Yet he could see why as his sister was being too damn persistent. She had always been extremely stubborn. It was their rotten luck that she had noticed them. Once Corrin had her target or targets, the chase could last for a year and she still wouldn't get tired. The male silverette attempted to hide behind Cloud again, but the blonde leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, making it almost impossible. The closest thing he could do was huddle near the serial killer's side and hope for the best. That's what he did, much to Cloud's distaste. However Cloud didn't do anything. He was more than content to let things play out.

Corrin, on the other hand, frowned. The silverette huddled near the blonde certainly looked like her brother, but something about him didn't sit well with her. Seeing how the taller man wasn't going to interrupt her this time, Corrin reached out to gently grab the strange silverette's wrist. When she pulled, she was able to coax him into showing his face. Now that she got a closer look, she could see that it wasn't her brother.

"Wait…you're not my brother." Corrin pondered. She ignored the blonde's snort of derision to focus on his companion. The similarities were there, but something about the man before her definitely let her know that he wasn't her twin brother. Perhaps it was their closeness as twins that allowed her to see that. Though she was relieved that he wasn't the person she thought he was (because if he was, she was going to knock that spiky-haired man so hard, he'd been seeing stars), she couldn't help but stare at him. There were too many similarities between this stranger and her twin to leave him alone. She needed answers.

"Who are you? And why do you look like my brother?" Corrin demanded. At the questions, Carrigan exchanged an anxious look with Cloud, who only returned one of aggravation. Things were definitely not going according to plan, if they even had a plan in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. So yeah. There is this weird paradox of what would happen to the future selves as they attempt to fix things. It should be noted that the past selves do have some influence over the future selves. You guys would probably see how huge of an influence they have in later chapters.
> 
> 2\. The 3000 years is obviously a reference to that Pokémon meme with AZ. Just a funny way to show long it seemed to Carrigan trapped in the shower...and obviously Cloud's wanting to respond "I'm you but cooler" is a reference to "I'm you but stronger". It is relevant though, I assure you, not just some humorous piece that I'm sticking in for fun.
> 
> 3\. The manager of that particular motel is the Villager with the purple, number 4 shirt. I almost forgot that this was a Smash story after a while...that's kind of the problem with this AU...eh, whatevers.
> 
> 4\. So past Cloud's appearance is basically FFVII Cloud without the mako while future Cloud's appearance is AC Cloud. While future Cloud's personality is pretty much a warped version of FFVII and AC Cloud, past Cloud's personality is more influenced by his appearance in CC. I prefer AC Cloud over Polygon Cloud.
> 
> 5\. Carrigan's choice of Kamui as his alias does concern with his family and is pretty much a direct reference to the Japanese default name for Fates. Cloud's choice of Zack is obviously from his coughdeadcough friend.
> 
> 6\. Throughout the story, whenever past Cloud or Carrigan comes up, I would refer to them by their actual names or as "the past Cloud" and "the past Carrigan" while the future selves would be written by their alias or "the future Cloud" and "the future Carrigan". However whenever the past selves do not show up, I would revert back to addressing the future selves by their real names.
> 
> 7\. There is actually some inconsistency between this story and its prequel concerning Corrin. Cloud had described Corrin's last moments as screaming to her brother for help. However, it seems clear from this small portion that she isn't the damsel in distress that Cloud made her out to be...
> 
> And that's it. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter that I suffered so much in writing.


	6. The Hands Rewind

"So? Explain yourself!" Corrin demanded with her hands on her hips. She glared at Cloud as if somehow this whole predicament was his fault. To a certain extent it was but that was in the particularities, and it was also difficult to glare at the person who looked like the person she loved so much. She made an effort to not look over at her brother's doppelganger. Carrigan couldn't really tell if he preferred it that way or not. It was slightly jarring to see his sister so alive and well when he had long accepted her death in his past life. He slid his eyes from her to stare at the ground. Meanwhile Cloud had no problem scowling back at her.

"How should I know why he looks like your brother? We've never met before so there's no way this would be on purpose. Not like we would want to look like your pathetic brother," the serial killer muttered the last statement underneath his breath. He hid a smirk when he felt Carrigan bristle next to him. It was good that the furious woman didn't catch that insult. Still Corrin didn't appreciate Cloud's aloof behavior.

"There is no way this is a coincidence," she argued. "He looks way too much like my brother." She glanced over at Carrigan, who continued to stare at the ground and stay right by Cloud's side. Corrin frowned. Not only did her brother and this young man looked identical, even his shy behavior was similar. She knew how her brother would try his best not to say anything to a stranger and avoid any possible contact with them. It was exactly what his doppelganger was doing at the current moment. What was going on? Corrin raised an eyebrow in surprise when the silverette spoke up.

"It…it could be a coincidence," he reasoned. "After all, we just met somebody who looked like very similar to Cl-I mean Zack," Carrigan quickly amended. He mentally berated himself for calling the serial killer by his true name earlier, yet he could defend himself with saying how "Zack's" action took him by surprise. It was difficult to use the pseudonym since he was so used to saying "Cloud", but he had no choice in the matter. If they wanted to keep their identities a secret, they had better get some practice in addressing each other by their alias. Carrigan continued, "There's nothing wrong with looking like somebody else…"

Corrin paused to digest that information. While what her brother lookalike said was true to a certain extent, there was something strange about him that she couldn't shake off. Call it a woman's intuition. It wasn't a particularly negative feeling but it wasn't overly positive either. The same couldn't be said for the silverette's companion though. She wasn't really sure what to make of the situation. However she did know that it would be a mistake to let these two out of her sight. After all her brother had gone out for some "fresh air" as he had told his sister. Corrin knew the real reason for his absence was that he was simply nervous in interviewing potential employees. Despite his high position as CEO of their late father's company, Carrigan's past self lacked some of the important qualities necessary in running a business. Like talking to people.

She crossed her arms. "You're telling me…that out of the seven billion people on this planet, I managed to find the one person that looks like my brother? That's a one in seven billion chance of happening."

"Congratulations. You can do math," Cloud said sarcastically. Corrin glowered at him, a low rumble sounding from her throat to signal her patience's end with him. It was probably a good thing that Cloud spoke up. It was on the tip of Carrigan's tongue to let his sister know that she only knew how many people lived on Earth due to him telling her once. If he had gone through with it, he might have given the game away. Carrigan was absolutely certain that Cloud wouldn't be at all pleased with that. Nor would he be pleased with how long his sister intended to drag this vexing conversation out.

"Who are you anyways? You never answered that question."

"There's no reason for us to."

"Just answer it! Who are you guys?"

The serial killer wasn't intimidated by her scary expression at all. If anything, it just annoyed him even more. Like how this whole conversation was annoying him. Cloud definitely knew that they had absolute no time for time wasters like this. Seeing how she wasn't going to be the one to break this meeting, he decided to take the initiative. He grabbed Carrigan's wrist in another firm grip before pulling him behind, again ignoring Carrigan's slight whimper. He also disregarded Corrin's indignant shout of "hey!" as he led his companion back the way they came. Unfortunately they didn't leave quickly enough as Corrin rushed ahead of the pair to block their way. Cloud returned the glare that was becoming quite common recently. He didn't want to stay in this dirty alleyway any longer than he had to, yet this damn bitch wouldn't let them leave. Cloud seriously wanted to hit her or do something of the like. Yet that wasn't an option opened to him especially with Zelda's ground rules. Not to mention that if he really wanted to silence her, Cloud would have to kill her again. Obviously the brat behind him wouldn't allow that to happen since his whole purpose of accepting this role was to prevent that in the first place. That didn't leave the serial killer with any favorable way of dealing with this bitch in his way.

Corrin smirked slightly at the obvious frustration on the older man's face. While her brother's doppelganger still avoided her eyes, she could see how much his companion wanted her to get off of their backs. Well, Corrin would have delighted in telling him there was little chance of that. She wanted to get to the bottom of this and whenever she wanted something as badly as this at the moment, she became a real bloodhound for it. She crossed her arms again and tapped her foot. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Tell me who you are. Then I might just leave you alone."

"No."

"Tell me!"

"No."

"My name is Kamui, and he's Zack," Carrigan finally answered. At his sudden statement, both Corrin and Cloud looked at the silverette in surprise. However Cloud's face expressed a hint of anger at his victim's abrupt willingness to identify them just like that. Carrigan didn't see his fury or was choosing not to. He stared right at Corrin in order to avoid the serial killer's malicious glare. Cloud slightly gritted his teeth when he realized he was given the same treatment as Corrin earlier. "It was very nice to meet you," the young man said.

"Oh. Um…" Corrin wasn't expecting this at all. She thought that perhaps the older man would exasperatedly tell her their names before pushing her aside, not this strangely normal exchange. It certainly caught her off guard. "Likewise. I'm Corrin."

"There, now you know who we are. Go bother somebody else," Cloud snarled.

"Not so fast. I still want to know why Kamui looks like my brother. And I don't think it's a coincidence that he has the name that could have potentially been mine or my brother's."

The serial killer let out a growl of frustration. This really was the girl he killed before with her fucking doggedness. Yet what really got to him was her second statement. He glared at Carrigan, who only cowered under his gaze. When Cloud didn't think the brat couldn't have gotten any stupider, he just had to pick a name that would draw suspicion to him. As if his appearance wasn't suspicious enough. The serial killer looked back at Corrin. "It's just a coincidence," he said through clenched teeth. "Why won't you just accept that?"

"Because I know it's not a coincidence! I can feel it!"

"Corrin, please. It really is just a coincidence that I look like your brother," Carrigan attempted to reason with his pig-headed sister. "And it's also a coincidence that my name happens to be whatever your mom…or your dad wanted to name you or your brother. Zack and I have somewhere we have to be. Can you please let us go now?"

Corrin paused not to consider leaving them alone but to ponder on how she would solve this mystery. There was absolutely no way she was letting this go past her without some firm answers. Her gut feeling screamed at her that this wasn't by chance, that this meeting was indeed on purpose. Now she just had to get to the bottom of it. She crossed her arms in serious deliberation. She opened her mouth to say something before she felt a jolt in her pocket. Carrigan and Cloud watched as the young woman checked her phone. Whatever she saw seemed to have sparked an idea judging from the knowing smirk crossing her face. Corrin shoved the electronic back into its place before looking at the pair again. "I just might let you go…if you come with me to see my brother for a little while."

"No," Cloud answered immediately. He turned to Carrigan to address him. "We wasted enough time here, _Kamui_ ," he growled with emphasis on the alias. He jerked his head in Corrin's direction. "We are not going with her."

Corrin shrugged indifferently at Cloud's answer. "That's fine with me. If you don't mind me following you for a very long time." This prompted the serial killer to scowl at her once again. She only smirked back smugly. Cloud drew breath to rebuke her when Carrigan stepped in.

"If we go with you, do you promise to leave us alone?

"Sure-."

"Were you not listening to me?" Cloud snarled. He grabbed Carrigan's shoulders but quickly resisted the temptation of slamming him against the wall. Even so, the young man winced quietly again at the painful grip that now plagued his shoulders instead of his wrists. "We are not going with her."

"C-Zack…" Carrigan began before looking over at Corrin. "C-Can you give us a minute, Corrin?" he asked tightly.

The young woman glared. "I could…if your 'friend' would let you go." Cloud refused to retort. However when Corrin continued to stand there and not give them the desired privacy, he finally relented and released Carrigan. It was only then did Corrin move slightly away from them. She still kept her eyes trained on the pair. Carrigan tugged on Cloud's sleeve to pull him a little away from his past sister. Although the serial killer initially resisted, he eventually followed Carrigan. He checked one last time that Corrin was out of earshot.

"You better have a good reason for listening to your sister and not obeying me," Cloud warned as he glared right at Carrigan. The silverette ignored the blonde's choice of words as he inhaled deeply.

"Look. I know my sister. She's really stubborn."

"Tell me something I don't know," Cloud responded sarcastically. This earned him a scowl before Carrigan continued:

"Once she gets onto something, it takes a really long time for her to get bored of it. I couldn't remember the last time somebody was able to persuade her to let something go. And from the look of things, she won't leave us alone for a while. She's going to do everything she can to get what she wants. We'd only waste more time if we keep on refusing her, so we might as well go now." The young man held his breath for Cloud's answer. The serial killer's irritated expression did not change throughout Carrigan's argument. Even now he kept staring daggers at the silverette. Yet Carrigan could tell that Cloud was brooding over the situation. He silently prayed to Zelda that Cloud would accept his reasoning and go along. After what seemed like years, the older man shook his head in annoyance. Carrigan's heart skipped a beat until he felt an appreciative warmth at his companion's next words.

"…fine," the serial killer muttered. Carrigan was close to breathing a sigh of relief when Cloud suddenly grabbed his shoulder and pointed at him. Actually, it was wrong to say that the older man gripped his shoulder. The silverette flinched, not because of abruptness of the grasp but because of how close Cloud's fingers were to his neck. As if the serial killer was in the act of choking him. He almost thought that Cloud would actually do it considering how they pressed against his sensitive skin, causing his breath to hitch. "But don't think that you're off the hook just yet," he threatened in a low voice. Carrigan's expression faltered slightly as a terrible shiver ran down his spine. Although he wanted to tell the serial killer to back off, for some reason he couldn't find the right words. All he could do was nod silently. Cloud smirked in amusement at the young man's meek behavior before relinquishing his hold. Carrigan rubbed out the ache in his shoulder as he turned to Corrin. He smiled at her.

"Lead the way, Corrin." He waited for her but she didn't move. In fact she froze with her eyes glued to him, almost like he was a ghost. Carrigan's smile quickly disappeared as an anxious feeling rose in his chest. "Is something wrong?"

The question seemed to snap Corrin out of her trance. She shook her head to clear her thoughts before nodding to Carrigan. "Yeah…no, nothing's wrong. I was just…reminded of something," she muttered to herself. Her confident smile soon returned. "So you guys agree?"

"Yes," Carrigan answered for both of them. He was certain that at the current moment Cloud didn't want to respond at all. His scowling face and refusal to look at Corrin affirmed that. However Corrin showed signs of indifference to Cloud's behavior. She beckoned them to follow her out of the alley and onto the crowded streets. As Carrigan trailed after the young woman, he sensed Cloud's presence right behind him. At least the serial killer wasn't abandoning him. Truthfully even if Carrigan ignored his refusal and went after Corrin without him, the serial killer really didn't have a choice but to follow the younger man. Though Zelda initially tasked the silverette to watch the blonde, it seemed as if they reversed roles considering who was chasing after whom in the last twenty-four or so hours.

As the trio made their way through the swarms of people aching to get to their destinations, Carrigan examined his surroundings. Despite some changes that occurred between the present period they found themselves in and their own actual timeline, Carrigan found that much of his home city remained the same. The other times he had rushed through too quickly and worried too much about Cloud to examine his surroundings. Now he had the chance to recognize much of the buildings that made his past home despite the pace they were walking at. It made him feel slightly more comfortable with the familiarity the place held. If he needed time away from Cloud, he would be able to do so with less of a chance of getting lost. And since the serial killer also resided in the city before, it would be a bit…easier for Cloud to find him, he supposed.

Upon that thought Carrigan had to admit throughout the whole journey so far, Cloud was watching him, not the other way around. It made him feel even more useless than before. However he didn't spend as much time to dwell on the depressing thought as he was brought back to reality by Corrin.

"Here we are," she announced. As there was a lull of people at the entrance, the trio were able to stop in front of a tall building and examine it. While Cloud remained unimpressed as the place looked like any other business building with its high-rising stories and blue-tinted windows, Carrigan held his breath at the extreme familiarity that washed over him upon seeing his second home. It was exactly as he had left it in his past life. There was something reassuring about that, about nothing much changing. At the same time, Carrigan wanted for something to change. It would be more of a subtle alteration for the people around him and a more prominent amendment for him. "Come on." He heard Corrin order. Snapping out of his thoughts, the silverette followed after his past sister. Cloud's presence still remained behind him.

Corrin pushed the doors open, inevitably causing some of the occupants inside to look up in curiosity. Those who registered her identity quickly went back to work while others continued to stare for a little bit longer. Thankfully the place wasn't as crowded as it was on the opposite side of the doors. Corrin paid no attention to everyone around her as she led Carrigan and Cloud into a free elevator. It couldn't be said the same for Carrigan. He actually recognized some of the people inside. The fear of other people recognizing him suddenly plagued him, and he could only hope that they wouldn't by some miracle. As a result, the silverette kept his eyes pointed towards the ground. Perhaps they wouldn't realize that he looked identical to their current boss at the moment if they didn't look at him straight in the eye. Carrigan had to look through his silver bangs to follow his sister. He didn't see the slightly bemused expression on Cloud's face. The serial killer could care less if people stared at him. So long as it didn't endanger them in any way.

Once the trio boarded thankfully with nobody else, Corrin clicked a top floor to start their ascent. As the machinery whirled around, an awkward silence befell them. Cloud leaned against the back handle with Carrigan standing in the middle and Corrin covering the buttons. Nobody met eyes with each other, and the tension nearly suffocated them. However the calm was soon broken by none other than Corrin herself.

"So what's your relationship with him?" she asked Carrigan as she jerked a thumb behind her. Her red eyes trained on Carrigan, she didn't notice the scowl on Cloud's face. Carrigan was rather taken back by the sudden inquiry. His face felt that annoying blush rising again. His mind drew a blank while he attempted to answer her question.

"W-Well, um…w-we, we're, uh…we're…

"Together?"

"Yes. I mean, no! I-I mean…" Carrigan sputtered as Corrin raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes, we're together, but we're not together, together. We're just…friends?" He cringed inwardly at his choice of words. In the heat of the moment though he couldn't think of anything else other than that false word. Corrin frowned at his response, showing her obvious doubts. She opened her mouth to pursue the matter further when Cloud interrupted her.

"We're just business partners. That's it."

Both silverettes looked at the blonde, Carrigan showing surprise while Corrin displayed skepticism. However Cloud was looking at only one person. His sapphire eyes shot Carrigan a silent warning, _don't say something stupid like that ever again._ Flinching from the sheer intensity of the glare, Carrigan couldn't retort with his own angry words. He simply slid his eyes away from the serial killer as he faced the elevator door once again.

Corrin frowned at the responses she got. Though the older male claimed that they were business partners, Corrin was certain that there was more to this odd pair than they let on. She wanted to know more. It couldn't hurt to try asking the young man besides her again. However when she nudged him again, Carrigan didn't answer. He was making it too obvious that he intended to ignore her. Corrin cursed to herself at the missed opportunity. It seemed like Cloud had intimidated Carrigan to the point of not wanting to converse anymore. No matter what she tried to do to get his attention, the stranger's mouth now sealed shut. The elevator ride continued its tensed trek upward.

Carrigan quietly sighed in relief when he heard the ding to signal their destination. When the doors split apart to allow the trio to leave, Corrin led the way forward. The moment they stepped onto the floor, Carrigan recognized the place. It was actually his office floor. Just a few steps more and they would reach his actual office. All of a sudden a panicked feeling constricted his chest, almost stopping his breath. Even though it was his ulterior motive to check on his past self upon accepting Corrin's deal, for some reason he felt extremely nervous now when they were so close. The silverette froze in his tracks while Corrin went on ahead to the fated door. However he didn't stay for long as Cloud shoved him forward.

"Let's go already," the serial killer growled in annoyance. Carrigan shook his head slowly, still trying to take what might happen in. Cloud rolled his eyes at his companion's behavior. The brat was so eager to follow his past sister. There was no way Cloud was going to let him chicken out especially since they wasted enough time with this detour. He grabbed hold of Carrigan's arm and dragged him to where Corrin was waiting.

"What's wrong?" the young woman asked once they reached her.

Cloud scowled. "Idiot's just nervous."

"Pfft, there's no reason for you to be nervous, Kamui. If anything, my brother should be the one nervous," Corrin replied. Without knocking on the door, she twisted the knob to bang it open. "Hey, Carrigan, I'm back!" Her loud voice caught the attention of the two males inside looking out the windows. Corrin strode forward purposely towards her twin. After a moment's hesitation, the future Carrigan also walked into the room with the future Cloud right behind him. However they stopped short some distance away to first give the siblings some space. This gave the two a chance to examine and reminisce about the room. To Zack, it looked like any other office building with the large desk in the back of the room and three chairs surrounding it on both sides. Bookshelves and cabinets with important documents lined the walls. At least there was a nice scenery outside for him to stare aimlessly at in boredom.

One of the males in particular smiled brightly once he saw who was calling to him. He began waving to his sister when his eyes caught something that made him double take. The past Carrigan stared right at the two men standing behind his twin, mainly at the one who looked identical to him. Was it really possible to have a stranger look exactly at him? He had heard stories about people meeting their lookalike, but Carrigan never thought it would happen to him. He gapped in surprise but nothing came out. It was only until Corrin hung an arm around him did he regain his voice. "Took you long enough to come back, bro. Had a nice walk?"

"Hi, Corrin, and yes, I did. Who are your friends?" Carrigan asked. He looked at the future Carrigan pointedly, who stared right back. If a total stranger who could very well be his second twin wasn't standing before him, he probably would have stared at the blonde, handsome man instead accompanied with a slight blush. Before Corrin could answer, Carrigan's double stepped forward and held out his hand.

"I'm Kamui, and this is my…friend, Zack. It's a pleasure to meet you," the future Carrigan said with a slight smile. For a moment, Carrigan simply stared with his mouth slightly open. However the snowy-haired male beside him gently nudged him to snap him out of his trance.

"O-oh, I'm Carrigan. The pleasure's all mine," he took Kamui's hand in his own. At the contact he shuddered slightly. For some reason he didn't like the feeling of it. Carrigan was too busy to dealing with his own sensation to notice that Kamui also quivered slightly. It was only until his companion subtly urged him away did he disregard that feeling.

"Hey, who's this?" Corrin asked with a finger pointed to the young man behind her brother. She narrowed her eyes in an attempt to remember the albino's identity. There was something familiar about him that she couldn't really place. Carrigan quickly answered her question:

"He's Robin. He's one of the people I was going to interview today."

At the mentioning of his name, Kamui balked slightly. Even Zack, who had been looking out the window, glanced over to study him with a critical eye. Robin seemed to ignore the strange actions coming from the two strangers. Instead he simply smiled and inclined his head.

"I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance." He tilted his head to the side curiously as he stared right at the future Carrigan. "If you don't mind my asking…why do you look so much like Carrigan, Kamui?"

"It's just a coincidence," Kamui answered rather quickly. He honestly had no interest in talking with this man right now. If only he could get his past self alone at the moment, he would advise him not to hire Robin at all. His eye twitched slightly when he saw the look of disbelief on Robin's face. "It's true! Zack, tell him!" The silverette turned to his companion in an urgent plea.

Now everybody was staring at the blonde. Zack rubbed his eyes in annoyance as he could feel a headache coming on. He was seriously getting tired of all of this. He swore to himself that if it weren't for Zelda's ground rules, nobody in this room would be alive right now. "It's…just…a fucking coincidence. When will you idiots accept that already?"

"Now that's not a very nice thing to say," Robin clicked his tongue in disapproval. "And you didn't have to get so defensive over your boyfriend." He hid a small grin when he saw Zack narrow his eyes at him. However the one with the most reaction was Kamui. The silverette's face flushed a deep crimson upon hearing those words.

"Zack isn't my boyfriend!" he tried to keep his voice leveled but failed miserably. "There's no way that is ever happening!" Kamui wanted to bury his head in the ground, the wall, something, anything to hide his deep embarrassment. Why was everybody assuming that they were a couple? Was that what he and Zack looked like to other people? He didn't even want to think about the possibility of that when there was zero chance of that ever happening.

"Oh? I thought there was something going on between you two considering how you hesitated when introducing him. I suppose it's my mistake for assuming that then…" Robin muttered. "My apologies." He glanced over at Zack though there wasn't much of a reaction from him. The albino drew breath to say more when Carrigan's sister interrupted him.

"Robin? Wait a minute…" Corrin narrowed her eyes. "Your name was on the list. Your interview was supposed to be done nearly two hours ago! What are you still doing here? Carrigan! I thought you were finished with the interviews already!" She released her hold on her twin to stare at the albino. Robin's smile disappeared when he heard that statement. The teasing manner from before was replaced with one of nervousness.

"Oh…well…I…"

"Oh well you what?" Corrin asked menacingly as she strode forward to glare at Robin. "Explain yourself!"

"Wait, Sis! Let me explain!" Carrigan quickly jumped in front with his hands outstretched to protect the shorter male from any possible bodily harm Corrin might have inflicted. "I…decided to take a break today from interviewing people, so I rescheduled his. I should have told him earlier, but he already arrived by then."

Robin chuckled nervously, "I actually got a little lost trying to find the room. It's a good thing I met Carrigan or else I might have wandered around lost forever. So he really saved me back there." He smiled again at said person.

"O-Oh, It wasn't much," Carrigan muttered as he blushed slightly. He looked away to hide his embarrassment, but those who took a closer look could see that he was smiling slightly.

"Trust me, I'm truly grateful that you helped me." When Carrigan looked up to smile at Robin, the shorter male gave him a wink. That only made the silverette look away with blushing cheeks.

"Bullshit," Kamui muttered under his breath. He could see how the albino was trying to suck up to his past self. Unfortunately, it seemed to be working. After Carrigan had revealed Robin's name, Kamui remembered exactly who he was. He remembered that this particular day he had quite the list of people to interview. And Robin was one of the few who was late. While the future Carrigan, and past Carrigan for that matter, was normally a patient individual, he was more exhausted that day than usual. And more crabby. So when Robin had attempted to appease him, the albino had only dug a deeper hole for himself. Needless to say, he didn't get the job.

However Kamui never remembered meeting Robin earlier in the day like his past self had claimed nor did Robin use the excuse of being lost when he entered the room for the interview. And he certainly didn't remember befriending Robin. He couldn't help but feel that something was amiss here. Something was clearly wrong with the events occurring right now. Obviously the future selves shouldn't be here but there was something else. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask exactly what had happened. Thankfully he stopped himself in time lest he gave the game away. However nothing was stopping Corrin from questioning her brother.

"Why did you reschedule the interviews? They were supposed to happen today." She frowned.

"Oh…um, well, somebody told me that I seemed really tired and down. He suggested that I get some rest today," Carrigan admitted sheepishly. "Even though I told him that I had people to interview, he just told me that if I wasn't feeling up to it then I shouldn't push myself."

"Wait, what? Who is this guy?" Corrin pointed at Robin. "Don't tell me it was him." Robin didn't look amused at all at that jab. He shook his head but kept his mouth shut.

"No, it wasn't Robin. It was…" the young man trailed off as his cheeks tinted red again. Corrin stared at her brother with a frown. For some reason she felt like she wasn't going to like what happened next.

"Well?" she prompted.

"He was…a police officer who helped me out when I was walking. I…kind of ran into some trouble and he really saved me then."

"Ran into some trouble…" Corrin then gasped. "Somebody harassed you, didn't they?! Who was it?! Tell me! I'll beat their skulls in for hurting my little brother!" Both Carrigan and Kamui flinched when they saw their sister ready to murder somebody. Her younger twin held out his hands in an attempt to placate her.

"N-no! I'm fine, really! It's fine! Please don't hurt anybody, Sis!" he pleaded. Corrin looked at her brother with her furious eye. After a moment's hesitation, she finally calmed herself down. She shook her head in annoyance.

"Carrigan, why didn't you call me? I would have come running immediately." At that, Carrigan sighed.

"It was all right, Sis. Nothing really bad happened."

"Just call me next time, all right?"

"I will."

"So…did you get the name of who helped you?" Kamui asked, suddenly showing intense curiosity to this story. Carrigan looked at him. He still couldn't really get over how there seemed to be another, slightly older him standing in front of him. It was like looking into a mirror without the glass.

Carrigan replied, "He said his name was Cloud." At the name, Kamui jumped slightly. Even Zack looked over at them with a slight scowl when Carrigan told them the name of his savior. Corrin raised an eyebrow at their reactions. She was about to ask them what was wrong when Carrigan pointed at Zack. "He actually looked a lot like you."

"Really?" Now Corrin looked at the blonde with a renewed interest. The thought of Zack looking like another person in this city never occurred to her, especially with the extremely low odds of that ever happening. Now that was out in the air, Corrin was even more curious about these two strangers. It didn't seem like a mere coincidence as they had previously claimed. Even Robin seemed to be curious about the matter as he stared at the pair with a thoughtful expression. "Did you guys know about that police officer?" Corrin asked.

"We-."

"Yeah, we met him," Zack growled. "He's a real idiot if you ask me."

"No, he isn't. He's really kind!" Carrigan protested. He blushed slightly as he remembered his encounter with the officer. He was smiling at the warmth of the memory when he suddenly remembered something. After Cloud saved him, he had addressed him as "Kamui". He recalled how confused the officer was once he corrected him on his real name. However Cloud didn't seem to mind the mix-up too much. Thinking back, Carrigan guessed correctly that Cloud had probably mistaken him as his doppelganger in front of him. He even remembered how the police officer had asked where Zack was. "You know him, right, Kamui?" he had to ask. "Because he mentioned that he met somebody that looked almost like me."

Kamui hesitated for a moment before nodding, "We just met him today, actually. He was nice." Carrigan nodded in agreement. He mumbled something under his breath that caused Kamui to frown. "What was that?" he asked, not quite catching Carrigan's words.

"Oh, nothing," the past self squeaked. Kamui was tempted to pursue the matter further but he left it at that. He opened his mouth to ask about something else when his vision swarmed. He could barely see what was in front of him with the faces blurring. A terrible migraine plagued his mind, his knees buckling. He heard somebody calling to him in a panic. However he couldn't respond to them as he fell backwards.

Kamui fully expected to crash on the ground. However he felt two firm hands grab both his arms as he fell onto somebody, stopping his momentum. He groggily looked around to register what just happened. Kamui felt something rumble on his back, signifying that the person who had caught him was talking. He froze when he finally realized who had saved him from falling.

"We're leaving now," Zack told the others. He glared at Corrin, as if Kamui's dizziness was somehow her fault. She ignored his pointed stare to look at Kamui with concern.

"Is he going to be all right?"

"He'll be just fine once we get out of here," Zack growled as he began to lead Kamui away without so much as a good-bye. "And you better keep your end of the deal." Once the serial killer uttered those words, Carrigan looked a question at his sister. She only made a negative gesture as she continued to watch the pair walk to the elevator to leave, one leaning on the other for support. The pair ignored the three pairs of eyes staring intently at their backs while they waited. After what seemed like days, the doors slid open and allowed the blonde and silverette inside. As the elevator shut itself, Zack felt only one pair of eyes leave them. The other two continued to stare, and he had to wonder whether those two people (and he knew Corrin was one of them) were still staring at the elevator doors despite them leaving already.

Once they were out of sight, Cloud shoved Carrigan away from him. Surprised by the abrupt action, the silverette barely managed to stop his momentum with his outstretched hands on the handles. He breathed a quick sigh of relief before turning to glare at the serial killer. Although there was an amused smirk on his face, Cloud's eyes showed the obvious signs of his irritation.

"What did you do that for?" Carrigan asked, the fury unmistakable in his voice. He forgot all about his splitting headache in favor for reprimanding Cloud. Just when he thought that the serial killer was actually showing signs of kindness, he had to turn around and prove him wrong.

Cloud chuckled, "Well you're all better now, aren't you? You didn't need to lean on me anymore. Unless you liked it that much."

"What?! No! I would never!" Carrigan couldn't stop the blood from rising to his face again. As his "business partner" continued to sneer at him, the silverette finally wretched his eyes from that predatory gaze. He clenched his fist in an attempt to calm himself down.

"Since you have no trouble flapping your mouth now, you better explain yourself quickly," Cloud growled as he leaned back on the wall and crossed his arms. Carrigan looked at him in confusion. The serial killer scowled as he elaborated, "Both you and I know that in our past lives we never met each other until the investigation. So why did your past self say that that idiot of a police officer saved him?"

Carrigan blinked as he pondered about that. His past self's story had surprised him as well. If he remembered correctly…it was supposed to be…Cloud who saved him from his harasser. Not his sister. Wait, that wasn't right! His sister was supposed to save him! Not Cloud! That was why that story had shocked him. That wasn't how things were supposed to turn out! He recalled how the stalker had trapped him in an alleyway and that he thanked his lucky stars that Corrin found him in time. So why…why was he recalling that Cloud saved him instead of his sister? He still remembered his sister scolding him for not defending himself. But now Carrigan could also find the memory of Cloud chasing off his attacker. Just remembering that little scene made him blush slightly.

"I think…your past self did save me…" Carrigan finally muttered.

"What? I don't recall ever saving you."

"I know, but that was because we weren't there to intervene. See, when that guy harassed me in the past, it was my sister who saved me. But since she was occupied with us at the moment that my past self was being harassed, she couldn't have saved me. So then…"

"…shit," Cloud cursed to himself once he realized the implication. He himself was starting to get the segmented memories that Carrigan found. Truthfully, he got them before Carrigan became dizzy and they left. He didn't realize how he was glaring at Carrigan so intensely that the younger male squirm underneath his gaze. Being brought back to reality, he grabbed hold of Carrigan's wrists to pull him closer. The young man gave a startled yelp at the rough treatment. They were much too close for his liking. Yet his struggles against Cloud's iron grip was futile and he had to bear with their close proximity. "This is your fault," he accused.

"What?! How is it my fault?!"

"If you haven't run away, none of this would have happened. And if you don't want to disturb this timeline any more than we have to, then you better obey me from now on. Understand, brat?"

"…" Carrigan only stared at Cloud defiantly. Seeing how the CEO wasn't answering, the serial killer dug his nails into the pale skin. He smirked in satisfaction at the pained cry he elicited from Carrigan. He continued to do that until he could almost see the tears from the corner of the boy's eyes.

"I asked, understand, brat?"

"I…I understand," Carrigan finally gasped. Cloud smirked at the answer. He dug his nails deeper one last time before relinquishing his hold. He watched with relish as Carrigan quickly scooted away from him to rub his wrists of the ache. He smiled devilishly when he saw the crescent moons etched in Carrigan's skin. It wasn't much of a punishment but it would do for now. Perhaps that would teach the silverette a lesson to be more obedient in the future.

The elevator dinged to notify them they had reached the first floor. Cloud waited until the doors opened before quickly walking away from Carrigan, surprising some of the people waiting outside. "Hurry it up. We don't have all day." Carrigan could only glare weakly at the serial killer's back before following him unwillingly, ignoring the stares he was getting. At least he could rest assure that his past self was in a much better position than he was at the moment. He didn't realize he forgot to tell his past self not to hire Robin. That probably would come back to bite the pair in the ass in the future...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. If Corrin wasn't so stubborn in preventing me from letting Cloud and Carrigan from leaving that damn alleyway, then there wouldn't have been a reason for Cloud to kill her.
> 
> 2\. Cloud calling him and Carrigan "business partners" is sort of a reference to Ginta's Cloud calling him and Bayonetta the same thing in her Crown of Ruin. More or less the same thing happens.
> 
> 3\. Cloud recognizes Robin as the guy who was babysitting Ness in Don't Leave, Cloud. However, he also had his own run-in with Robin before that that doesn't really leave the guy to be in his favor too much.
> 
> 4\. So the original history of what happened on "that day" was that Cloud made it to his shift on time. Carrigan was assaulted when he was taking his walk. Before his harasser could really do anything bad, Corrin showed up to save and scold her brother. Yet because of future Cloud and Carrigan's intervention, things turned out a lot differently. Past Cloud became late when he talked with future Carrigan. Then Corrin was preoccupied with future Cloud and Carrigan as seen in this chapter. This left past Carrigan still being harassed somewhere. In that time frame, because past Cloud was late, he was able to stumble upon past Carrigan and save him. As a result, future Cloud and Carrigan pretty much fucked themselves over with this.
> 
> And that's pretty much it. Sorry this chapter took so long. Corrin wouldn't let me leave the alleyway 'cause she's so freakin' stubborn...anyways, see you guys next time.


	7. Quick, Red Fingers

Although a certain question continuously nagged at him, Carrigan sealed his lips to prevent it from slipping out. He had a feeling that if he asked that question again, Cloud would simply ignore it. Or, he thought wearily, they would get into another argument that the blonde would undoubtedly win because he forced the silverette into submission. He hated how powerless he felt in Cloud's hands. Although he tried his best to resist the serial killer the majority of the time, their interactions always ended with him cracking and breaking down, not Cloud. Even with his life potentially on the line Carrigan couldn't help being the naturally meek person he was, especially when there were other people around. He didn't want to cause more trouble for others when it wasn't necessary.

As a result they continued to walk through the city with only the usual, apprehensive silence separating them. They paid no mind to the people around them. A few strangers did scratch their heads in question at the strange pair as they thought perhaps they've seen the two men somewhere before. That thought quickly passed as other, more important issues took over. For the most part, Cloud and Carrigan didn't have to worry about anybody recognizing them. Though the risk of recognition grew, especially with them drawing near Cloud's intended destination, the serial killer wasn't worried at all. He had a plan, if you could call it that, to get in and get out with what he needed.

Soon enough they reached the place that the serial killer had planned to go all this time. Carrigan looked at the building in shock before glancing at Cloud for an explanation. The blonde man continued to keep his companion in the dark as he moved away from the entrance and towards the side. Although there were multiple police cars parked outside, there were no officers inside the vehicles to catch and question the suspicious-looking pair. That didn't stop the nauseous feeling Carrigan was starting to feel in his stomach. Still he followed the older man to the side. He couldn't hold his curiosity in any longer and he finally spoke up:

"Cloud! What are we doing here?!"

"…" The serial killer still didn't respond. Carrigan was certain that he would eventually get used to this sort of treatment. However it irritated him like the first time Cloud ignored him. The CEO couldn't really do anything about it though as he watched Cloud look around the windows. Carrigan expected for somebody to see them through the glass and attempted to think up a suitable explanation for their creeping around. To his relieved surprise, no police officers ran out to arrest them. However that didn't calm his quivering nerves, and Carrigan continuously looked over his shoulder for any blue uniforms.

For his part, Cloud muttered tracking numbers silently with each passing window. Eventually he stopped at a certain window and peered through. The familiar room struck a chord in his heart but he ignored it. The serial killer wasn't here for the feels. He was here for those documents. Cloud could still feel Carrigan's eyes on him yet every so often that burning look would disappear for a moment before returning. At least the brat was actually keeping a look out. The blonde felt around the rims of the window. When he felt the slight space, Cloud pushed it wide open. He ignored Carrigan's gasp as he climbed through into Ryu's office. He took a quick look around, recognizing the basic outline that his former partner favored over some extravagant design. The moment his eyes landed on the cabinets Cloud bolted over there.

"Cloud! Why are we breaking into a police station? That's like asking to get arrested!" Carrigan whispered loudly. He looked all around once again in case somebody tailed them. Fortunately there was nobody in sight, and he climbed in after the serial killer though with a bit more trouble as he struggled to hoist himself over. The moment his feet touched the floor Carrigan felt discomfort worm its way down his spine. They shouldn't be in here. That was what his instincts were screaming out him. Nothing good was going to come out from this.

Cloud didn't seem to share the same anxiety as he yanked open one of the drawers of the gray cabinet. "Shut up," he growled to the worrywart. Cloud quickly dug through the files. When he couldn't find it, he slammed that drawer shut for a new one. He stormed past Carrigan to reach the other cabinets. Like the rest of the storage bins, the older man searched through them vigorously. Carrigan watched his companion for another small moment and looked outside for one last scan. Seeing nobody again he crept over to the door where a small window was face-level with a person taller than Carrigan. He was barely able to look through with him standing on his toes but he managed.

To his surprise, the police station seemed to be quite empty with only white halls occupying the area. Carrigan saw how said halls extended out on both sides with the left side leading to a room full of desks while the right side split into two more routes. There was nobody in his sights. He wondered if this was the reason why Cloud chose to trespass now. Somehow Cloud knew that, strangely enough, there wouldn't be any police officers wandering around to catch them in the act. Despite that, he couldn't stop the fear of being discovered creep up on him. He wasn't sure what they would do once they were found out. Carrigan could only hope that Cloud's plan covered that huge problem.

"Here it is." Cloud's low voice made Carrigan jump in surprise. He glanced over to see the serial killer holding up a thin folder. He watched as Cloud flipped through it. Then something told him to look outside. Carrigan did just that and his heart nearly leapt into his throat. He looked back at his companion frantically.

"Cloud!"

Cloud's slightly satisfied expression quickly changed to one of muted rage. Once he reached the end of the skinny folder, he flipped through it once again. Seeing nothing new the second time almost made him chuck that folder into the cabinet so something could be destroyed, whether it was the order of the files or the silence of the room. However he managed to control his actions to not do something so pointless. He wasn't even sure whether he wanted to take this file now with the little content it had.

"Cloud!"

What was he going to do now? Cloud thought that Ryu had a lot more information on the terrorists than the sorry amount in his hands considering how latter never let the former look at this folder. He was banking on it, and now it seemed as though his gamble cost him more than just money. It cost him time, something he couldn't afford to pay.

"Cloud!"

Hearing that whiny voice one too many times caused Cloud to look up with a growl. He recognized the panicked expression the silverette had right now. Ignoring that terrified air, the serial killer opened his mouth to retort when Carrigan pointed to the window. "Somebody's coming!" he explained fearfully. A confused look crossed Cloud's face before annoyance set in again. This time though the annoyance wasn't caused by Carrigan. It was from the incoming interruption. While he was confident that nobody would be entering the office considering how he remembered that he and Ryu had some duties to attend to on this particular day of his past, Cloud silently made his way to the door and locked it in case a nosy coworker decided to sneak a peek inside. Even if they found the door to be locked, it would be safe for them to assume that Ryu locked it before leaving.

He then glared at Carrigan pointedly. "Now would you stop running your mouth?" he growled as he moved back to the file cabinets. His former partner had to have some other information about the terrorists filed away somewhere. He remembered how Ryu had vehemently refused to give Cloud any information on the terrorists. Every time the blonde police officer tried to look through the cabinets like he was doing now, Ryu would always scold him away. If his old friend did that to stop him from going after the terrorists themselves, then Ryu did a horrible job considering how Cloud still chased any possible trail left by the criminals. And while the older man didn't succeed in finding the terrorists, Cloud did though what others would consider pure, horrible luck. That was why he was here today.

The serial killer barely took two steps when he heard the doorknob twist in an attempt to open. He tried to ignore it but his ears caught two familiar voices that made him turn.

"That's weird. I don't remember locking my office when we left…"

"Really? But you still have the key on you though, right?"

"Of course I still have my key. I don't forget things like you."

Once Cloud saw the outline of a man's head and something red trailing behind it, he lowered himself into a crouch to rush over to Carrigan still near the door. Carrigan's eyes widened at Cloud's approach. The silverette was in the act of asking what was the matter when Cloud slapped a hand over his mouth. Those ruby eyes narrowed in anger yet Carrigan's voice died on him with sapphire orbs glaring him quiet. He resisted the urge to flinch when the serial killer leaned in close.

"Get out through the window now!" Cloud hissed harshly as he slammed the folder into Carrigan's chest before turning towards the door. The younger man fumbled with it for a while as he looked around frantically for the window. Cloud's sudden actions and the tensed atmosphere jumbled his mind and prevented him from making rational choices he probably would have made in a different scenario. He attempted to sprint for it but in his haste he tripped over his own feet. Carrigan couldn't help the yelp from slipping out as he fell to the floor. The loud, unexpected sound made Cloud jump slightly. The serial killer turned around to see what the hell was going on. Unfortunately he wasn't the only one who noticed and his heart leapt in his throat when he heard one of the outsiders say:

"Hey, somebody's in your office!"

Cloud growled in irritation at the mess his companion was causing. Now the outsiders knew of their presence. When he heard the key turning in the lock, he grabbed hold of the knob and twisted it to stop the police officers from entering. He also shoved his body against the door. He could hear the aggravated voices outside and knew that he wouldn't be able to hold this position for long. Cloud twisted his head to glare at Carrigan, who was struggling to pick himself off the floor.

"Hurry up!"

Carrigan finally managed to stand up again with Cloud sarcastically thanking the heavens. However he slowed down once again once he got to the window. To anybody it was reasonable for him to be a bit slow. But to Cloud, his companion was moving too damn slow. At this rate both of them would be seen and arrested. His heart skipped a beat when he felt the door moving slightly in his direction. The serial killer quickly gathered his strength to shove the door back. He briefly heard somebody curse loudly at the abrupt jolt. Once he couldn't push anymore, he locked the door once again to buy them some time. As soon as the lock clicked in place, Cloud raced to where Carrigan was in the process of lifting his second leg out the window. Cloud gripped Carrigan's leg and yanked it over. Carrigan squealed at the sudden weightlessness he felt before the sensation of gravity quickly returned.

Thankfully he reacted quickly enough to stop himself from face-planting the cement. The young man cried out a bit at his hands skidding across the ground surface. However he had no time to examine his hands for injuries as Cloud quickly leapt out the window with one arm steadying him. Carrigan barely blinked when he felt somebody grip his arm _hard_ and jerk him away.

"You're too damn slow!" Carrigan heard Cloud curse. He had enough wits about him to tighten his grip on the folder. The younger man stumbled after his companion, silently praying that he wouldn't fall again. He was only vaguely aware of the office door finally slamming open with the two police officers getting through. Once the two were halfway clear of the police building though, he heard somebody yelling after him. Carrigan saw Cloud glance over his shoulder, presumably to look at the speaker. Carrigan himself was also tempted to learn the identity of the person who interrupted them. He almost turned his head when Cloud yanked on his arm again, prompting him to refocus his attention ahead and speed up. The pair didn't slow even as they barreled through the crowded streets.

Pedestrians yelled in indignation when Cloud partially shoved them out of the way. Similarly to day one Carrigan muttered apologies. Eventually the serial killer stopped pushing people out of the way. Tightening his grip around Carrigan's arm, Cloud calmly and skillfully zig-zagged through the people. At one point he pulled his companion up to let the silverette walk before him. When Carrigan looked at him in confusion, he saw that Cloud was futilely smoothing down his blonde spikes. Was he trying to make himself less conspicuous? They continued to walk like that for a while until Cloud silently pulled Carrigan into a different direction. After a certain amount of time Cloud changed route again. This happened a couple more times, with the serial killer sometimes backtracking. The younger man already figured out that his companion was attempting to throw off the police officers should they give chase. Yet he could only surmise that their next, true destination was their motel room to recuperate. Truthfully, today had been a handful for both of them.

Carrigan was right in his guess. They arrived at their motel sooner than he thought though. This time around they didn't see the janitor hanging around with his cart or anybody else, which Cloud probably appreciated. They went up the stairs with Cloud still gripping Carrigan's arm tightly. The CEO wished that his companion would stop with the rough handling but he couldn't muster up the courage to tell the serial killer that. He waited silently for Cloud to unlock the door.

Once they were inside and the door locked tightly behind, Cloud turned to Carrigan with a hand outstretched for the folder. The younger man hesitated a bit, looking at the folder curiously and uncertainly. Cloud felt his frustration mounting before his hand shot forward to yank the folder away from the younger man. Carrigan cried out in slight surprise at the violent action, a sound that the serial killer ignored. Cloud turned away from his former victim to examine the documents again. For some reason he had hoped throughout their attempt to throw off his former partner and past self, the documents on the terrorists had magically gained more information. That was obviously not the case as he angrily threw the folder on the small table. He didn't even seem to care that the papers inside began to spill slightly when he stood by facing the window.

Carrigan waited for a tense moment before silently walking over to the table. He cautiously settled down in one of the chairs and tentatively grabbed the folder. Flipping it open he began to read the documents inside. There were only four papers, each a profile page. The first three profiles though had horrid photos of the terrorist they were about. When Carrigan read the descriptions of each, he noticed that all had dull silver hair, wore black suits, and were young men. Other than that, there wasn't anything else similar between the three. He shook his head at the lack of information. Then he turned to the last page.

Unlike the previous documents, this page actually had a clear picture. Carrigan stared at bright green eyes that seemed to stare right back in contempt. The man in the photo had long silver hair with bangs parted to either side of his face and a disciplined frown. There was something about him that stirred a memory in Carrigan. He furrowed his brow in concentration to remember exactly what it was. However, before he could recall a potentially vital memory, something written on the profile with clear photo jumped out at him. Carrigan read that little note. Without thinking, he reached out to tug on Cloud's sleeve.

"Cloud…"

The serial killer turned to see Carrigan staring at the last document. Seeing that photo of the terrorist was already enough to set off Cloud, but seeing Carrigan looking at it triggered something in him. Without warning he whipped away the folder from Carrigan's hands. The young man jolted in shock before realizing that Cloud was now glaring at him.

"And who gave you the right to look at these?" the serial killer asked, slapping the folder lightly on his palm. Carrigan's eyes flashed in anger at the derision in Cloud's tone. Carrigan stood up to face his companion.

"I'm here to help you, so I have as much right to look at those as you do."

"The only help you'll be is bait for the terrorists. And for that, the less information you know, the better."

Carrigan sputtered, "B-bait? You can't make me the bait! There's no way the terrorists would fall for that!"

"Well then. You'll be of no help to me at all." Cloud shrugged with a satisfied smirk. He chuckled mentally at Carrigan's flinch. The younger man had walked right into that. However he refused to get into this argument with Cloud again. He would only get nowhere with it, and they would waste precious time. Carrigan inhaled deeply to calm himself down. He pointed to the folder where while it contained names that he was unfamiliar with, there was one specific name from the last entry that caught his attention.

"We should go and see Bayonetta." The moment Carrigan uttered those words, he regretted it. He wasn't sure how livid a person could get but if Cloud's narrowing eyes were anything to go by, there didn't seem to be a limit. Carrigan actually thought that for a moment the serial killer's eyes turned into a crimson hue that rivaled his own. He resisted the temptation to step back to not give Cloud the advantage. Before the blonde could say anything, Carrigan quickly explained further, "The last profile had a note that said, 'Ask Bayonetta'. So I think we should go and do that."

Cloud frowned in disbelief. He opened the folder to look up what Carrigan just told him. Indeed, at the bottom of the page the note was there. A low growl formed in Cloud's throat at that. He had hoped that he wouldn't have to rely on his past source of information considering how she was partially the reason why he was here right now. Unfortunately the curvy bartender seemed to be his only lead at the current moment. Ryu's documents had nothing left that would be able to help them in their search for the terrorists. If they wanted any possible information about the terrorists, which they needed desperately, they would have to visit Bayonetta.

And he could kill her then too. The thought crossed only briefly through Cloud's mind before he dismissed it entirely. No, that wasn't an option anymore. Zelda already made sure that Cloud got that message. Even though she hadn't appeared at all throughout the day, he wasn't certain that she wasn't watching their every movement. She could be monitoring them at this very moment. Of course, that wouldn't stop Cloud from abusing Carrigan but it did stop him from doing other things he probably would have normally done. Like taking revenge on his murderer.

Thinking back to that night refueled Cloud's hatred for the bartender. Yet he had to ask himself whether he was willing to put his hatred aside in order to ask her for the information that could potentially save millions of lives. He wouldn't be able to waste any more time looking for somebody else who could possibly have the necessary info. So would he do it? Perhaps, if those millions of lives actually contained a life that he cared about.

"…Fine," Cloud finally said. Carrigan's eyes widened in slight surprise at that. He thought that it would take a lot more to convince Cloud to go see his murderer, but apparently the serial killer persuaded himself. The CEO was about to smile in relief when Cloud turned away to walk out again. Catching him off guard, Carrigan hurried to follow after the older man. Yet when he reached the door, Cloud turned around with a stern look in his eyes. "But I'm doing the talking. You, shut up."

Carrigan bristled in anger at those words. However he nodded his agreement. The young man knew he shouldn't push his luck too much. He already had the small victory of Cloud agreeing to go talk to Bayonetta, even if Cloud insulted him again in the process. However he had to make sure of something else. "Remember, Zelda won't allow you to kill her." He earned a scowl for that. For a moment Carrigan thought that Cloud might bang him against the wall again, but the serial killer left without another word. His former victim blinked in slight confusion before trailing after him. The young man could only take that silence as a probable yes. The pair headed downstairs once more to a new destination.

This time they forwent their zig-zagging and to-and-froing to head straight to the place where they woke up since it was highly unlikely that the police officers were still after them. Even if the officers were still after them, it would be extremely difficult for them to catch the strange pair since the streets were as busy as ever, if not busier. Carrigan tried his best to keep up with Cloud. However the day had taken a lot more out of him then he realized. It was only until they sped past a restaurant with its doors flung open did Carrigan recognize how starving he was. His mouth began to drool from the delicious aromas that came from all the surrounding restaurants that suddenly appeared. His stomach growled loudly in apprehension of having food out of its grasp. The young man clutched it desperately in hopes that Cloud didn't hear.

It didn't seem like it but Carrigan had to wonder whether the serial killer was actually hungry at the moment. It was way past noon and Carrigan had to admit that Cloud did a lot more things than he did throughout the day. Surely he must be as hungry as the silverette. Unfortunately for him his companion seemed to show little to no signs of stopping at a restaurant. Maybe Cloud forgot? That didn't seem likely. Maybe he was planning to skip lunch? Carrigan seriously hoped that that wasn't the case. He couldn't understand anybody thinking about skipping the second meal of the day, or any meal for that matter. He knew how unhealthy it was if the human body didn't have the proper nutrients it needed. Yet the young man was slightly unwillingly to say anything due to the high chance of him being verbally abused once again. His growling stomach attempted to change his mind. After a few moments of mental wrestling between his self-esteem and his hunger, his hunger won.

"Cloud, what about lunch?"

The question stopped Cloud's stride. He looked over his shoulder, prompting Carrigan to stop as well. He stared at him for a moment before retorting, "What about it?"

"Aren't you hungry?"

"No," Cloud lied. He turned forward to speed away again, causing Carrigan to start slightly at the sudden action before he frantically followed after the older man. Well that worked out great, the CEO thought bitterly. If Cloud didn't want to stop for lunch, then Carrigan couldn't really do anything about it at the current moment. Even if he did stop, he was sure that Cloud wouldn't wait for him to finish eating. He could only hope that perhaps there would be something at Bayonetta's bar and that the serial killer wouldn't skip dinner as well. A person could only go for so long on a breakfast bagel and water bottle.

His stomach continued to growl even when the pair reached their destination. Fortunately the sounds of the swarming streets prevented the other from hearing his companion's hunger. Carrigan raised an eyebrow when he saw that there were no bouncers outside of the bar despite it being open. He wondered the reasoning for the lack of such a familiar face at bars before thanking Zelda that there were no bouncers. He would have asked for IDs, and Carrigan wouldn't have been able to enter being the age of twenty. Driving that thought away he quickly slipped through the door after Cloud.

Similarly to his first visit here during Cloud's "investigation" he recognized the smoky atmosphere along with the wavering colors of lights. The more solid colors served as a wall and something for drunkards to stick to if they weren't passed out on the tables. Déjà vu struck Carrigan hard when he noticed how the occupants of the room glanced up to glare at the newcomers. Cloud naturally ignored them in favor of heading straight to the counter. Carrigan hopped hastily after the older man, trying to ignore some of the more persistent stares burning a hole in his back and another place he didn't want to think about.

Instead he refocused his attention where they strolled to. He recognized the rows of alcohol behind the counter that he had seen when they were revived. And he recognized the beautiful bartender shaking up a storm. However she looked different from his last memory of her. When Carrigan met up with Bayonetta one last time before his death, he remembered that she wore her raven hair short in a similar style as a pixie cut or short bob. Now her long hair wrapped around itself in a beehive-like hairdo. Nevertheless the bartender maintained her beauty throughout the years with her curvy and slim figure. A lollipop stuck from her mouth. If Bayonetta had been examining a wine bottle, Carrigan would have called the whole moment a coincidence and miracle.

"What can I do for you boys?" Bayonetta asked in a smooth voice as they stopped at the counter. Though she was smiling, there was a light in her eyes that bothered Carrigan. He wasn't sure what it was, but if this Bayonetta was anything like the Bayonetta he was used to, then he was certain that he could still trust her. Since Cloud didn't bother to take a seat, Carrigan stood next to him. He hoped that during this conversation his stomach wouldn't embarrass him. Thankfully nothing in here simulated his appetite that much, but he still hungered for some food.

Cloud leaned in close. "I'm going to make this quick. What do you know about Jenova?" he muttered in a low voice so the other patrons wasting away at the counter couldn't listen in. The bartender raised an eyebrow at that.

"Is that how you talk to a lady?" she asked. This earned her a scowl from Cloud. Carrigan shrank back, sensing the fury emitting from his companion's body. He hoped that Bayonetta's behavior wouldn't persuade Cloud from changing his mind about killing her. He tentatively reached out to place his hand on Cloud's arm. When the serial killer looked towards him, the silverette silently shook his head. Cloud inhaled deeply to calm his anger. He turned back to the bartender, who still had on that self-satisfied smirk. He stared right into her eyes with an unwavering expression. After a while, he saw something in those gray orbs. He recognized that something as fear. Perhaps he could put that to good use. His arm shot out like a snake to grab Bayonetta's wrist in the same manner as he did with Carrigan. While the bartender flinched, she didn't whimper like how Carrigan would have. She tried to glare defiantly at Cloud but the fear was still in there.

"Tell me what you know about the terrorists or else you'll regret it."

"If this is how you treat every lady, I'm not surprised that you haven't confessed yet, Cloudy."

Something flashed in Cloud's eyes but it swiftly disappeared. Ignoring Carrigan's surprised start, he pulled her closer to him. Bayonetta reared back slightly before realizing that she just gave Cloud the upper hand. "My name is Zack."

"Oh?" She made a perfect o with her mouth. Bayonetta examined Cloud on a closer basis. She noticed the same slight differences that Carrigan noticed the first time he met the past Cloud. A slight smirk replaced the o. "So you're not the pathetic officer who tags along Headband." Cloud knew immediately that she was talking about his past self and Ryu. He did remember that he went along with Ryu occasionally to ask Bayonetta for information. However, he wondered why he never thought to ask her about the terrorists in his past life. The serial killer quickly dismissed that thought to face the problem in front of him now.

"No, I'm not, and enough talk. Are you going to tell me what you know or do we have to do this the hard way?"

"And pray tell what is the hard way, Mr. Moody?"

Cloud growled at the new nickname she gave him. He never appreciated the pet name she gave him before and he certainly did not like the title she gave him now. He pulled her closer to him until their faces almost touched. Carrigan watched fearfully as he saw his companion whisper something to the bartender. Whatever he said must have shaken her a lot as her eyes widened. There was a slight pause before Bayonetta finally jerked her hand away from Cloud's grip. She turned slightly so that so now they could only see her back and side. Carrigan looked at Cloud in shock at the sudden development. He saw Cloud's tongue just disappear after it finished licking his lips. Seeing that action caused a chill down the CEO's spine. He had a pretty good guess what the serial killer had said to Bayonetta.

"Fine, I'll tell you." The bartender glared. She flicked a finger towards Cloud to beckon him to lean closer. He did so with a smirk on his face. Bayonetta glanced around to see that nobody else was listening in. Once she was satisfied, she leaned to whisper something to the serial killer. Cloud's smirk soon faded as the beautiful woman leaned away.

"You have got to be kidding me…" Cloud breathed in disbelief. His narrowed eyes glared at Bayonetta. She only managed to hold his stare for a few seconds before sliding her eyes away to look at something else nonchalantly. The serial killer snorted in derision before turning to leave. His former victim jumped slightly in surprise. He then gave a nod to Bayonetta along with a thank-you as he followed his companion.

When they were halfway across the room, Carrigan took one last look at the bartender. What he saw surprised him. Bayonetta was no longer shaking in slight terror of Cloud. Rather she leaned forward on the counter with her smiling eyes set on the two leaving. Swirling her lollipop around in her mouth, she noticed how Carrigan was looking straight back at her. An eyelid slid down to wink at the CEO. Carrigan felt his face heat up at the flirtatious gesture before hurrying after Cloud. Both of them definitely needed a break after everything that happened today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This should have been published yesterday but...yeah, tis the season to be stressed out. Fa la la la la. La la la la. I'm sorry for the lateness, but happy late birthday, Ginta. Hope you enjoy this sucky-ass chapter!
> 
> 2\. So any guesses who these Jenova Terrorists are? :) Anyone? As if it wasn't obvious enough...and my little inside joke about Cloud having no limit of being mad...because he breaks his limits! Haha! Okay, I'll shut up now...
> 
> 3\. Happy Holidays, everybody! Stay safe and hope you guys get what you guys wanted!


	8. Chasity's Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for the seriously long time since I updated this story. I had a bit of writer's block as well as a couple of scenes I loathed writing. As a way to make up for it, here is a "mega-chapter", I suppose...filled with shit and giggles and fanservice as per requested/demanded. Hope you guys enjoy it.

"We have to go where?!" Carrigan's voice rose to a pitch higher than he ever remembered shrieking. He didn't care if Cloud's face twisted in pain from his screech. He had a feeling that Cloud would have done something to him to silence him had Zelda not been present to discuss their next move. The serial killer instead decided to plug his ears in order to save one of his senses. He looked away from Carrigan's indignant expression, the irritation clear on his face. Once he was certain that Carrigan finally shut up he unplugged his ears.

"You heard me," Cloud muttered without so much as a hint of sympathy. Carrigan glared at him. He opened his mouth for a retort when Zelda asked in a curious voice:

"I don't understand. Whatever is the matter with the destination of the terrorists' meeting?"

Stunned, ruby eyes shifted from the serial killer to the Overseer. He blinked in obvious shock at her question. "It's not they're meeting up but where _we're_ going to be staying until that time comes!"

"So what is the matter with your temporary quarters?"

"We're staying at a love hotel, Zelda! A love hotel! Do you know what that place is for?"

Zelda raised a curious eyebrow. She had no idea why Carrigan was so tensed about this. He wasn't even this objective when she told him that he had to watch Cloud. "For love?" she ventured. She didn't like how disbelief mixed in with Carrigan's shock at her answer. Even Cloud looked at the goddess with a strange look.

"Really? You're serious?" the serial killer asked. The Overseer switched her attention over from the silverette to the blonde. The steely look would have convinced anybody to drop the subject, but Cloud wasn't so easily deterred. He simply raised a scornful eyebrow. Zelda allowed the awkward silence to stretch until she saw from the corner of her eye how Carrigan squirmed slightly from the building tension. The poor young man was never good at these kinds of things, and the Overseer felt for him. She finally broke the silence herself:

"Never mind that. The fact remains that this is an opportunity you can't miss. You may not get another chance like this. Both of you must go to that love hotel."

"B-But Zelda!" Carrigan attempted to protest again. "Why can't we just go to the bar and wait for them there? Then we can avoid this all together!"

"Because," Zelda said patiently, "if you wait for them at the bar, there is a possible chance that people would remember your faces and we cannot have that. If people knew your true identity, especially those you are after, not only would you be in great danger but your past self as well. We must keep your presence and identity a secret for as long as possible."

"If you put it that way…" Carrigan hesitated for a moment. While that was reasonable, he refused to be so easily persuaded like how he usually was in the past. He absolutely did not want to be in a love hotel room with Cloud of all people. He already had trouble staying with the serial killer in _this_ room, and it didn't even have any tools its lustful counterpart would surely possess. "But still, isn't there any other place we could stay instead to wait for the terrorist?"

Cloud looked at him with a mischievous smirk and a raised eyebrow. "Would you rather we stay in a strip club? I'm sure we could find one looking for a brat like you to work for them." At the insulting remark, Carrigan glared at him with venomous eyes. He opened his mouth to respond but Zelda beat him to it first.

"You will not leave Carrigan at the strip club. He is coming with you no matter what." Her serious tone booked no argument. It was Cloud's turn again to look at Zelda.

"You're still annoyingly adamant about that."

"As I have said before, both of you are necessary for the timeline to be fixed. Nothing would change that."

"Like how nothing would change how useless one of us is…" Cloud muttered to himself as he leaned back in his chair. Fortunately, nobody heard the snarky remark. Carrigan was too focused on finding a solution to his problem, and Zelda was too determined to convince the silverette otherwise. The young man tried again:

"Aren't love hotels expensive though? I thought you didn't like spending a lot of money." The last statement, he aimed at Cloud with an accusing glare. The serial killer couldn't help but smirk at that. Earlier that evening, the silverette expressed his repulsion of instant cup noodles when the blonde dumped a pack of them on the table. Cloud had told him that if he wanted something else, then he could go out and buy it himself. They didn't have that much money to spend so frivolously, yet here it seemed to Carrigan that Cloud was willing to ignore that rule in order to torture him. Judging by the smirk from the blonde's face, it was a pretty accurate deduction.

Cloud sat down in one of the chairs with his arms crossed. He leaned back comfortably. "I don't, but since Zelda is willing to pay for it, who am I to complain?"

"What?! Zelda!"

"If it is vital for the mission's success, then I have no objections. However you two should not get used to me providing for your expenses."

"Going to a love hotel isn't vital for success!"

"Nor are you," Cloud pointed out. "Yet you're still here."

"When will you give that a rest?!"

"When you're finally gone."

"Cloud," came Zelda's warning voice.

"You don't need to remind me every ten seconds how 'important' it is to have both of us here." Cloud waved his hand offhandedly towards the goddess. However his eyes still remained on Carrigan, stopping him from seeing Zelda's frown deepen slightly. He asked pointedly, "When will _you_ give this protest a rest?"

His companion's eyes blazed in response. "Until we wait at a place other than a love hotel. Why can't we just wait here until the time comes for the meeting? You won't even have to spend any more money than you have to and I'm sure you'll love that."

"Because I don't trust Bayonetta."

"What? You trusted her in the past. How can you not trust her now?"

"I just don't." Cloud's eyes narrowed. "What about you? Do you trust her?"

Carrigan bristled in anger. "Of course I trust her! I trust her more than you!" Those last words held obvious venom. They didn't seem to affect Cloud in the slightest yet he still responded to them:

"Then you don't trust me?"

"Of course not! You killed me!" As soon as those words left his mouth, Carrigan immediately realized Cloud's reasoning. His face flushed in embarrassment at how he didn't see that sooner. The former CEO slid his eyes away from the serial killer's smirk to look at Zelda. Despite that submissive action, he still had the courage to say, "There is still no reason for us to wait at a love hotel until the meeting."

Cloud drew breath to retort. However a hand on his shoulder prompted him to glare at Zelda instead. The Overseer, for her part, didn't return the serial killer's stare. Rather she was looking at Carrigan. If Cloud looked at her from the younger man's point of view, he would have seen the slight pleading light in Zelda's eyes. "Please, Carrigan. While I do not fully understand why you are so against this, I understand that you are already suffering too much for the sake of your sister. If there was a better way, I would have argued for it. However, I am afraid there is none and I implore you to please endure it."

Carrigan bit his bottom lip and looked away from Zelda's eyes. The goddess could feel the young man wavering in his stance as his brow furrowed in thought. She walked over to place her hands on his shoulders comfortingly, prompting him to look at her again. He saw a fierce light in her eyes mixed with the earlier plea. "I assure you that you will not be hurt in any way, Carrigan. While it is impossible for me to protect you from all harm, I will do my utmost to protect you, both of you, from the most severe ones. As Fate decrees it."

She saw Carrigan's eyes flicker, as if to see if there was any deception behind her words. When he could find none, the young man finally sighed in defeat. "All right," he murmured. "As long as nothing bad happens." This time, Zelda couldn't stop Cloud from retorting.

"That's stupid," he growled as he stood up. The serial killer walked past his companion, ignoring the weak glare he received. "No one, not even a goddess, can stop bad things from happening." And despite how he continued to glare at the older man as he disappeared into the bathroom, Carrigan had to acknowledge Cloud's point. Everything had another side to it even if the initial result seemed all good or all bad. Stopping all bad could very well result in just stopping life itself. Carrigan sighed again in resignation. Even if Zelda said that she couldn't protect them from all harm, he still hoped that she would at least protect him from certain things that would happen to him because of the way he was. The former CEO didn't need to go through those disgusting sensations again.

…

The period between their discussion and the event passed far too quickly for Carrigan's liking. If the anticipation for what's to come wasn't bad enough, Carrigan hated himself for repeating the first morning's wake up. He had again told himself the night before that he would stay on his side of the bed. No such luck for the second night in a row. Fortunately though, for the second night in a row, Carrigan woke up before Cloud could know that the younger male was pressed right against his back. This time, Carrigan didn't go into a panic. Although his heart still raced at the fact that he practically slept pressed against the serial killer's back, he managed to roll off the bed without much fuss. The younger man also made sure not to take too long in the bathroom, locked this time. He had absolutely no wish to repeat what happened yesterday with the shower and the towel.

As a result, he actually finished before Cloud even woke up. Carrigan looked over to make sure the serial killer was still sleeping. He then frowned when he noticed something a bit off. It took only a few seconds for him to realize what bothered him. Cloud was perspiring a lot again. Despite his seemingly calm face, Carrigan could see the clenched jaw and moving eyes. It was strange though because he didn't remember feeling anything wet when he was sleeping w-…ahem…next to Cloud. Perhaps Carrigan had been too keen on getting away, so he didn't notice.

Either way, he couldn't help but wonder again if there was anything he could do to help. He might hate Cloud, but it was still his job to "watch" over the serial killer. Maybe the usual cold, wet cloth would work. It seemed to have cooled Cloud off relatively well before despite the fact that he continued to sweat through his nightmare. Besides, it gave the young man something to keep his mind off of today's possible events. Carrigan mentally shook away the inquiring thought of Cloud's dreams. He couldn't even begin to fathom the fears the serial killer might have that assaulted him in his sleep.

He grabbed the bucket once again to fetch ice, making sure to pour out the excess water from yesterday. He returned with it full of ice once again, exhaling a small breath of relief when he saw Cloud still sleeping. Carrigan immediately went to work to cooling Cloud off. He gently dabbed the serial killer's face with the cold cloth. Even so Cloud didn't make a move nor a sound. It was almost as if he was…dead…Carrigan shivered at that thought. There was an extremely ominous tone to it, and he wasn't sure whether it was entirely false. After all, they did die before and he still hadn't figured out how Zelda managed to revive them. However the silverette managed to persuade himself to refocus on the task at hand instead of his morbid thoughts.

After finishing his task, Carrigan collapsed in one of the chairs, not from the physical aspect of the activity but the mental fear of the undertaking. Just in time too as he started when he saw the still figure suddenly move. Cloud slowly sat up on the edge of the bed, staring straight ahead and not noticing his nervous companion behind him. The serial killer stretched once, stood up, scratched his side, and lumbered into the bathroom. Only until the door clicked shut did Carrigan release a breath he didn't realize he was holding the whole time. Now that the day was starting for the both of them, the silverette's palms suddenly felt a great deal damper than they felt before. Despite what he attempted to tell himself, Carrigan still had trouble believing that everything would be just fine. If the past few days were anything to judge by, then Cloud and Carrigan would be in for a hell of a ride.

When the serial killer finally reappeared from the bathroom, he saw that his companion looked ready to go sitting in his chair. That's good. At least he didn't have to tell the brat to do so. Cloud moved to the closet to get his own set of clothes. He had to smirk to himself when he noticed from the corner of his eye Carrigan looking away suddenly. That action had coincided with him about to take off his shirt. If they had actually went to the love hotel for the main purpose it was built for, Cloud was certain he would have had a lot of fun messing with Carrigan despite having no experience whatsoever in that area. That was _his_ area of expertise…

"Hurry your ass over here," Cloud abruptly said to the wary Carrigan. The silverette looked up in surprise, noting that Cloud had finished changing. He quickly scrambled to his feet and did as Cloud told him. The young man could sense that something had made his companion a bit moodier than before. What it was, he wasn't sure, but he didn't need to annoy Cloud any more than necessary.

After locking their motel room, they were on their way. Once again Cloud sped into the room holding the free breakfast to get the same thing as yesterday with Carrigan right at his heels. They didn't really have much of a choice in breakfast foods considering how late they had woken up but neither of them minded.

As they walked through town, the serial killer looked at the large clock towering high above and noted that it was still way too early for the terrorists' meeting. Despite his desire to get all of this over with, he knew that he couldn't rush time. Both he and Carrigan might as well slow down for the time being. It wouldn't do for them to be too worn out to deal with the terrorists. Besides, unless Cloud could somehow negotiate with the register to let them stay longer, the pair would only have a limited amount of time to stay in their room. Despite Bayonetta telling him that the terrorists would be meeting near sunset evening, Cloud had planned to be at the love hotel at least an hour before then. He trusted the bartender as far as Carrigan could throw her. His grudge against the woman prevented him from taking her word even though Bayonetta's tips were notorious for being scarily accurate. That was why he and Ryu went to her whenever they got stuck. She had always pointed them in the right direction.

Cloud finally stopped in a calm park and sat down on one of the benches. He ignored Carrigan's curious look as he ate his bagel at a slower rate. After a moment's hesitation the younger man finally eased down on the same bench albeit putting a good distance between them to suggest an awkward relationship and prevent anybody from sitting in the space. He also slowed down on his breakfast but finished his bagel faster than Cloud in fear that the serial killer wouldn't give him much time to do so. Carrigan looked over briefly to gauge how much longer it would take Cloud to finish eating. He seemed to be taking some time, and it didn't look like he was in the usual rush Carrigan noticed gripping him since the beginning of their trip. Still the younger man felt that it would be better if he mentally prepared himself to go at a moment's notice. He couldn't help but wonder how they were going to spend the rest of the day until the time came. He didn't think that shopping for clothes would take that long.

It was Zelda's idea. She had suggested that because the terrorists' meeting took place late, they might as well prepare themselves for future encounters. A change of attire was also in order, she said, as she had no doubt that both Cloud and Carrigan couldn't, wouldn't, go around in the same clothes every day. Hence the shopping decision.

When Cloud finally finished his bagel, he stood up again and started walking. From the corner of his eye he could see that Carrigan had been fully prepared for such an action and was now right on his heels. Although the serial killer felt a slight flame of annoyance at not being able to catch the former CEO off-guard, he also couldn't help but appreciate that at least Carrigan had been ready to go as soon as possible. The pair kept their silence with each other since the morning as they walked to a mall, veering into the first appropriate clothing store they could find. They hit several others, buying articles of clothing here and there. During those times, the silence between them eventually broke as Cloud made snarky comments and Carrigan responded heatedly to them, looking for all the world to see a squabbling couple.

Time passed quickly and before they knew it, it was almost time for them to head to the red light district. On their way back to the motel to put away their purchases, Cloud forced Carrigan to carry his things while the serial killer made one last stop. The silverette was about to retort when he realized the shop Cloud entered. Looking through the window Carrigan could see his companion showing the clerk a slip of paper. Soon the serial killer exited the shop with a black case and took back the bags he shoved on the younger man. The former CEO realized with a sinking feeling that despite them leaving their newly-bought items in the motel room, he had heard the sound of a case opening when he changed clothes, meaning that Cloud had taken whatever he bought in that last shop with him. When he looked, Carrigan couldn't see the item on Cloud's person, which was really a good thing. He just hoped that the serial killer wouldn't be using it in front of him.

Carrigan made sure to keep close to Cloud while they walked to and through the bright red-light district. Holding onto the serial killer's arm would have made things easier for him, but he was certain that Cloud would have had an insulting remark for that. Though he had never been in a red light district (nor did he ever intended to), he had a feeling that there would be more perverts here than other places. And his clothes didn't make things easier on him. Even though he clearly bought items from the men's section, Cloud still remarked how feminine Carrigan looked. The silverette wished it wasn't true but even he had to admit that the blonde was right to a certain extent when the young man looked at his reflection. He even tied his hair back into a ponytail as suggested by Zelda to further hide their identities, and that other further added to his womanly appearance. There wasn't much that could be done for Cloud's spiky locks though with any attempts to smooth it down negated by his hair's own gravitational field. Carrigan tried to ignore the predatory looks burning into him. At the very least, Cloud was scary enough to stop anybody from approaching or touching his companion.

Despite himself, Carrigan still couldn't resist taking in the sights of the area. The bright lights outshone the setting sun in the sky to catch any potential customer's attention. The hubbub of the pedestrians sounded like any other crowd in other parts of the city. Besides the explicit signs and words that made Carrigan flush, one might have mistaken it as any other business district.

The young man quickly shook his thoughts away when he saw Cloud stop. One look at the plain-looking building told Carrigan that they had arrived at their destination. The butterflies in his stomach suddenly mutated into fruit bats as his poor heart nearly stilled. He could barely register Cloud's impatient "Get inside already!" A shove was in order to snap Carrigan out of his petrified state.

Cloud did just that. He smirked at the surprised squeak elicited from Carrigan and relished the indignant glare his companion weakly gave. He was already gentlemanly enough to open the door for the pathetic brat. What more could he ask of him? Cloud started ahead of Carrigan, just barely registering the change of hard concrete floor to soft velvet carpet. The silverette shadowed right behind his taller companion. Similarly to the building's surroundings, he couldn't help but look around in slight awe.

If he didn't know any better, the former CEO would have mistaken this place as another hotel his family usually stayed at on their vacations. An AC helped keep the whole place cool. The lights from the chandeliers above bathed everything in a soft glow. Either they also made everything seem the lightest shade of pink, or the walls originally contained that color. Multiple cushioned chairs and couches littered the lobby, allowing participants to relax next to the plant life growing from gold vases. A set of elevators sat off to one side to take customers to their temporary suites. Judging from the furniture alone, Carrigan could already tell that this was one expensive place to spend the night in. Or a couple of hours…

"If we were going to a hotel of this caliber, why are we staying in such a rundown motel?" the young man muttered.

"Get the money first, then we'll talk," Cloud hissed back. "Apparently goddesses have budgets too." He suddenly grabbed Carrigan's wrist and yanked him towards the front desk, ignoring the silverette's pained cry. The young man's glare disappeared when he saw a set of monitors where a receptionist usually stood. A sign hung next to the monitors, and even from this distance, he could surmise that it showed the prices from the number shapes. He briefly wondered what they were for until the pair got closer. Carrigan felt his face heat up when he saw how each monitor displayed different rooms with the occasional blank screen. Some rooms looked like a regular hotel room. Others were a bit more…extravagant. Despite himself, his eyes kept roaming back to a gray room with what looked like chains above the bed just below two torches. Carrigan desperately hoped that Cloud would pick one of the normal-looking rooms, yet he couldn't voice his opinion in fear of the serial killer doing the exact opposite.

It seemed like hours to Carrigan as Cloud took his sweet time examining each room. A few other couples actually came in to take a room. The silverette watched as they simply pressed a button underneath the desired room monitor before taking the ticket provided and heading into the elevator. The process was definitely different from what he was used to with the regular hotels. Despite the other people passing them, Cloud still had yet made up his mind. Carrigan finally couldn't take it anymore and whispered, "Can you please just pick a room already?"

"After all your protest yesterday, I'm surprised that you're so eager to stay in one of these." Cloud smirked. That made the blood rush to Carrigan's face even more. He turned away from Cloud to hide his embarrassment.

"The faster you pick a room, the faster we can get out of here," the silverette snarled back. The serial killer just shrugged at that before turning back to the monitors. Seeing how Cloud was taking his sweet time again examining each room, Carrigan sighed in defeat.

Yet the older man surprised his companion when he clicked on a button. Carrigan fearfully looked for the monitor that would seal his fate. However he saw a question mark above the button Cloud pressed. He rightly guessed that the serial killer was calling for help but what could he be asking help for? A hidden door opened somewhere in the hotel and when Carrigan looked towards the sound, he saw a young man walking towards them. The employee dressed in a suit similar to a butler wasted no time asking:

"What are you looking for?" He examined the couple in front of him, eyes lingering on Carrigan just a bit and causing him to flush before shifting over to Cloud.

"A room with a one-way window to the front of this building."

At those specifications, the employee, Takamaru his nametag stated, nodded in reply. "Of course. With or without equipment?"

"With," Cloud replied. Upon hearing that, Carrigan's face rivaled that of a tomato and he had to look away. While he was too innocent to know the specifics, he knew that nothing good would come out it for him. Takamaru noticed the self-conscious action and raised a slight eyebrow at that. However the employee quickly retained his usual stoic expression as he turned to the monitors to put the order in place. He pressed the button for the room fulfilling Cloud's requirements. Once the ticket printed out, Takamaru handed it to the serial killer.

"If this is your first time here, simply scan the ticket with the scanner outside your room. This will allow you inside. There will be a chute for you to pay after you're done." The employee was about to turn and leave when Cloud quickly stopped him.

"And…how much is it to allow free access in and out of the room?" he asked. Takamaru's eyes narrowed at the question.

"The door will be locked until you pay. Once it is unlocked, you will only have 10 minutes to leave before the door locks again. After that, you will have to pay again. Even if you pay for a 'stay' during hours that it is allowed, you are still not permitted to leave until morning."

"What if I pay you a little extra?" Cloud hinted.

"Bribery is not allowed." The way Takamaru voiced it suggested that he felt indignant that Cloud would even suggest such a scandalous action. The cold light in his eyes confirmed it. "You should go now, guests. You only have three hours, at most," he said stiffly before turning away. Cloud cursed inwardly at his failed bribery. But he couldn't let the employee go. He had to be able to move freely between the love hotel and the bar across it. Sure, he could attempt to ask a different employee. However that would be exposing them too much, and as Zelda stated before, the less people who know them the better. His mind raced for a solution to his dilemma. Cloud's eyes fell on Carrigan, who had been listening in. At the sight of his companion, a cruel smirk crossed Cloud's face. The silverette's eyes widened and heart dropped at the sight. A dreadful feeling constricted his chest as he feared what the blonde was thinking. He didn't have to wait long to know.

"Wait."

Takamaru stopped and turned on his heel to glare at the couple keeping him. "Yes?" he asked somehow calmly. Cloud smirked as he draped an arm over Carrigan's shoulder and stepped behind him. The silverette tried his best not to flinch but little missed the employee's sharp eyes. The serial killer gently held the younger man's cheek, smirk widening at the slight shiver he felt underneath his gloves.

"My girl's a real prize, isn't she?" Cloud chuckled. At the second word, Carrigan bristled angrily.

"Girl?! I'm not a girl!" he shouted indignantly. Unfortunately his voice cracked, further adding to the image his companion was painting. He attempted to struggle out of Cloud's grasp but a simple dig of Cloud's nails into his skin stopped him. When Carrigan glared at him, he flinched at the dangerous light in the serial killer's eyes. It told him that if he didn't want to get hurt, then he would play along with this little façade. His face flushed once more when he felt Cloud's chest rumble with a quiet laugh.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to remind you how young you are, my darling. You're always going on how you're-."

"Is there a purpose to this?" Takamaru asked, finally unable to keep the slightest note of impatience from creeping in. He had other important duties to attend to, and this couple was keeping him from them. While he admitted to himself that the young woman was adorable, it was unprofessional to lust after a client. However the man's next words surprised him greatly, so much so that the surprise displayed clearly on his face:

"Well…I'm sure she might like more than one man tonight when I'm done with her. After all, she was the one who wanted that particular room. So what do you say?" Cloud looked at the employee with a smirk. "I'm sure that if you…let us leave our room freely, she would love to have a turn with you. Here or anywhere you like. Isn't that right, my sweet?" The serial killer switched his attention back to Carrigan, who didn't dare look anywhere else. His wide eyes told his terror all too well, a look that Cloud couldn't help but relish. He chuckled in amusement and looked at the employee.

"Well? How about it? Nobody will know." He watched Takamaru carefully, seeing how the other man's eyes were examining Carrigan again like a piece of art. Perhaps in the employee's mind, that was exactly what the feminine man was. Carrigan also looked at the employee, fear written all over his face. When their eyes met, the silverette quickly slid his eyes away from those unwavering orbs. Unconsciously he pressed himself closer to Cloud, a fact that would have annoyed the serial killer if he wasn't watching the other man closely.

Despite the calm expression Takamaru kept, Cloud could tell that he was considering the deal. Otherwise he would have left immediately. After what seemed like hours Takamaru finally nodded the slightest of nods. Cloud felt a slight thrill of triumph when the employee said, "Your room doors will be unlocked throughout your stay then. But you must pay the moment you enter and will still only have three hours. After all this, I'll be waiting…" He suddenly turned and hurried away, a great deal more flustered than he had been moments before. The serial killer could tell that he struck a serious point with the gone man, a satisfying feeling especially with how emotionless he seemed to be. After all, the man did work in a love hotel. Cloud might as well have taken that gamble of him working here for the perks of love even though the chance of it succeeded was extremely low.

However Carrigan didn't think the same way. The moment they stepped into the elevator, he leapt away from his tormentor, thankful that Cloud allowed that movement to happen. The younger man didn't bother to lower his voice. "What did you do that for?! I'm not going with that man after this!"

Cloud scowled at the raised volume. If the brat continued to act this way, the serial killer would actually consider going through with his promise. That was why he made the promise the way he did. Yet it seemed as though Carrigan didn't catch it, and Cloud knew he had to tell him soon otherwise Carrigan would continue to annoy him about the issue. The serial killer scoffed as he crossed his arms and leaned against the elevator wall. "If you keep this up, I might just consider keeping my promise and give you to him."

"You wouldn't dare!" Carrigan gasped. "Zelda said-."

"I know what she said!" Cloud snarled as he stood up from his relaxed position in irritation. He felt a flash of satisfaction when he saw his companion flinch from his action. "If you had a brain, you would know that I promised him a girl." When understanding dawned on Carrigan's face, Cloud smirked cruelly. "Unless…you really were a girl all this time."

"I'm not!" The silverette flushed angrily at the accusation. Despite his rejoinder, Carrigan couldn't help but feel the surprised gratitude towards the serial killer. Even though he clearly insulted Carrigan and used him in a disgusting manner to convince the employee, Cloud still did it in a way that not only got what he wanted but also protected the former CEO from the promise. Carrigan didn't expect such an action from Cloud, not after all the torment he put him through. He half-expected that after this was all done, Cloud would actually keep his promise. Granted, Zelda would most likely stop the blonde from doing so, but that didn't stop Carrigan from worrying about said action. At least now he could be reassured that his companion had no intention at all to do what he promised. That lessoned his hatred towards his killer only a bit, just a little bit. Unfortunately, Cloud's present actions might just void that decrease. Not that he was entirely concerned with whether Carrigan liked him or not.

"Then stop whining like one and shut up," Cloud retorted just in time for the elevator to ding their arrival. The double doors parted and allowed the pair to walk down the hall, Cloud leaving before he could see Carrigan's glare. Despite the soft atmosphere from the gentle lights, the hallway was quietly eerie. Even the velvet carpet muffled their footsteps as if sound truly wasn't allowed here. Carrigan followed closely behind Cloud, not at all wanting to stay in this place alone. Although he heard nothing at all, his face flushed at the thought that behind any of these multiple doors, couples were "getting it on". He barely had time to wonder which couples were actually married when Cloud finally stopped at one door.

Like Takamaru said, a scanner stood ready for the ticket. The blonde waved the paper in front, and they heard a click from the door. Cloud opened the door to lead the way inside. If he could see his companion right now, he would have smirked at the tension marked in every one of Carrigan's steps.

The lights lit up the moment they stepped inside, covering everything but the entrance in a red light. Carrigan stopped in slight awe, allowing the door to quietly slip shut behind him. Despite his revulsion of staying at a love hotel, the young man appreciated the comforts the room offered its present occupants. Obviously only a single bed with white curtains covering all its side stood in the middle of the room. There were two nightstands on either side of the bed along with a couch and TV in front of the bed. Carrigan blushed when he saw two mirrors facing the bed from the side and the top, their purpose clear in such a setting. One of the walls contained a clear box which Carrigan assumed was the chute Takamaru told them about. The room also contained a bathroom. While containing a large bathtub for couples washing together, it had the additional shower that conveniently had a clear view of the bed, and the bed had a body view of the shower.

But what mainly caught Carrigan's attention in spite of the implications of the room was the large window on the far side of the room. The silverette ignored his companion as he walked over to the window like in a trance. The sun had just set in order to envelop the sky with darkness. Now that night had fallen, the district lights shone even brighter. However some stars managed to shyly wink at any viewers. The young man pressed his hands against the glass and realized how high up they were. Their room was high but it allowed ample spying room for the bar across the street. Carrigan could almost clearly make out all characteristics of those entering the place. Despite himself, he had to admit that his companion had picked a good room. Or at least, Takamaru did. He still hoped that the meeting would go quickly so they could get out of here.

A small movement caught Carrigan's attention, and looking from the corner of his eyes, he saw that Cloud had also approached the window. He resisted the temptation to look over. From his view he could barely see the serial killer staring at the building in front. The former CEO remembered how Cloud said he didn't trust Bayonetta at all. As a result he knew that they would be waiting for a while before the terrorists actually arrive. Carrigan left Cloud observing the bar while he walked to the couch to sit down. Usually when in a new hotel room, the young man would explore the place. However, taking in consideration where they were, he decided not to practice that task here. Instead he contented himself with drawing on the memo pad so common in all hotels and motels.

The slow seconds turned into minutes, and the dawdling minutes then became an hour. One of their room hours was up. It was amazing how they haven't died of boredom yet, most of all Cloud. Every time Carrigan looked up towards the window, Cloud didn't seem to have moved at all, the killer's eyes glued to the bar. For the first time, it looked like the blonde took this mission very seriously without making any unnecessary remarks towards Carrigan. That image allowed the silverette to wonder what the serial killer had to gain now with this. It certainly wasn't for the benefit of his past self considering how Cloud called the past Cloud an idiot. It was most likely for himself to not go to Infernoz. However Carrigan couldn't help but feel there was actually more to it. Despite the cruel and sadistic appearance Cloud shaped for himself, Carrigan knew the serial killer held the same feelings as any other human being, emotions of caring for another person. If Cloud truly was as evil as he attempted to make himself out to be, he wouldn't have made the promise as he had.

A loud scraping sound snapped Carrigan from his thoughts. He looked up to see Cloud walking away from the window. That could only mean that their target had arrived and entered the bar, just as Bayonetta said. Startled, the silverette tripped a bit when he attempted to match Cloud's rapid movement. The serial killer made no signs of slowing down for the former CEO. When Cloud walked past the bed and couch without acknowledging his companion, Carrigan felt his frustration mounting. He couldn't take it and shouted:

"Hey, wait!"

To his slight relief, Cloud actually listened for once. The older man looked over his shoulder, a dangerous light in his eyes. "You…are not coming with me," he said lowly. The response only agitated Carrigan even more. He walked around the couch and towards the serial killer.

"Who says?! I'm coming with you!"

"You'll only get in the way. So be a good little girl and stay here until I come back."

"I am not a girl!" While Cloud maintained his position, Carrigan walked in front of him to block his way towards the only exit. "So stop calling me that!"

"If you stop acting like one, maybe I will stop. But for the last time, you are not coming with me!" Cloud reached out to grab Carrigan's wrist. However the younger man was ready and quickly swatted that hand away. A flash of surprise crossed Cloud's eyes before they darkened in anger and irritation. Carrigan felt a small flame of satisfaction at that.

"I'm coming and you can't stop me!" he firmly declared. Cloud cursed mentally at his companion's pigheadedness. The little brat always had to put up a futile fight concerning their arguments. There was no way in hell the serial killer wanted to bring the former CEO along so that he could mess up and forgo their one chance of capturing the terrorist. Yet, now that it counted, Carrigan wanted, needed to be there. The other times were small compared to this moment. If he was to keep Cloud in line, he had to stand his ground at this pivotal instance.

The silverette turned and began stomping towards the door. However the moment his back was turned, Cloud scooped up the smaller man and hoisted him over his shoulder. Carrigan squealed at the sudden weightlessness he felt from the action. Four quick steps brought them close to the bed. Cloud threw his bundle on it with little care. Before Carrigan could even gasp in surprise, gloved hands held his arms paralyzed to his side. He instinctively struggled against the iron grip once again despite knowing there was no possible way he could escape. The silverette continued to glare at Cloud in an effort to remain strong.

However, Cloud quickly took even that away when he leaned in close. Carrigan's icy stare quickly melted to one of terror when he saw how close the serial killer's face was to his own. Cloud smirked when he noticed the newfound vigor in Carrigan's wiggling. Ah, that was the reaction he wanted. He wondered what other face his victim would make if he went further. Why not experiment? After all, Carrigan was in need of punishment for not heeding his words. And he knew exactly what to do.

The serial killer exhaled through his mouth right at Carrigan's nape. The action caused the younger man to inhale sharply. His eyes widened as he suddenly realized what Cloud might be doing. "W-wait! S-sto-AH!" Carrigan didn't get any further when he felt something sink into his skin. His cry turned into a scream at the realization that Cloud had bitten him. Carrigan desperately wanted to push his companion away but his arms remained hopeless by his side thanks to said person. He couldn't pull away lest he hurt himself. However the agony only grew with Cloud increasing the pressure of his bite. By this time, Carrigan was sobbing as his back arched at the pain, his whole body flushing from a heat that suddenly struck him. The heat only burned hotter when he felt Cloud's mouth smirking and sucking his skin.

Then suddenly, it was over. Cloud retreated and relinquished his grip on Carrigan's arms. Almost immediately the young man covered the purple bruising from the serial killer's bite. Tears still fell from his horrified, ruby orbs but he managed to keep his voice under control. Carrigan glared at Cloud, who only smirked at him.

"I told you not to disobey me. Do it again, and I promise you the consequences would be much worse than this." Although Cloud smirked, his cold eyes wanted to make sure that the lesson engraved itself into the former CEO's mind. He returned Carrigan's tearful glare before turning to leave their room. Once the door slammed shut, Carrigan allowed himself another wrenchful sob. He had no idea that Cloud would actually do something like this. And it just made him hate the serial killer even more, if that was possible.

Carrigan wasn't sure how long he stayed in bed when his tears finally dried and his body finally cooled. He pushed himself straight up with trembling arms. Only his brief sniffles echoed in the room. He still couldn't believe that Cloud actually did that to him. Carrigan thought bitterly to himself that he should have known that something like this would happen eventually. After all, Cloud had no problems gripping his wrist until all circulation cut off or digging his nails into his skin. Carrigan had to wonder though why Zelda didn't step in. He felt hurt that although the goddess had promised no harm would come to him, she didn't stop Cloud from biting him. Was this one of those times that she couldn't communicate with them? Perhaps that was it. Yes, that had to be it. Though it took some effort, Carrigan renewed his faith in the Overseer. Everything she attempted to do was for their sake. He couldn't lose faith in her now. He had to trust her.

With that, Carrigan was determined to not let Cloud's action intimidate him to submission as the serial killer intended. He gritted his teeth as he got off the bed to go into the bathroom. The former CEO headed straight to the sink, ignoring everything else in the room in favor of washing his face. When he looked in the mirror, he grimaced at the flushed face staring back at him. Carrigan gingerly touched the hickie Cloud gave him, breath hitching slightly from the contact. He could almost feel the serial killer's breath on his neck again. A bolt of shock struck him, and he violently tore his mind away from the memory the same way he ripped his gaze away from the mirror. He pulled the collar of his plaid shirt up to cover the mark. Hopefully nobody would see it.

The silverette quickly left the room but not before making sure that the room would remain unlocked as the employee had said. Nothing to fear there with the promise holding even though he had no idea why they would still need the room after they accomplished their mission here. Carrigan couldn't stop the shudder that ran down his spine at his brief recollection of that moment. However he quickly shook it away and headed towards the elevator for the bar. Fortunately for him he met nobody along the road, especially not Takamaru. Carrigan had a fearful suspicion that if the employee caught him alone, things would not have boded well for him. He quickly left the building and crossed the street after looking both ways.

Unlike the Gates of Hell, this bar actually had a bouncer with flaming hair and black bands of spikes on his wrists in front. Carrigan jumped a bit when he realized his dilemma. He had no ID whatsoever on his person, and he knew he couldn't get in with his youthful face. In the back of his mind he wondered whether Cloud had an ID on him that granted him access. The serial killer probably did, the CEO thought bitterly to himself. While the question of how also struck his mind, Carrigan knew he had other priorities to deal with. Perhaps he could sneak past? No, the bouncer was on full alert. Or maybe there was a back door he could get into? No, it would most likely be locked.

As he mulled over how to enter, he heard somebody whisper behind him, "Just go in." Carrigan would have almost whirled around in surprise had he not recognized Zelda's voice.

"Zelda?"

"Yes, Carrigan. Just go in. I promise you will be fine."

He hesitated at Zelda's confidence. After a moment's pause, he recollected himself with several deep breaths. Despite the slight doubt in the goddess's words, he still braced himself and walked forward calmly. His heart pounding in his head, Carrigan fully expected the bouncer to stop him once he got close. To his surprised relief, the large man paid little to no attention to him even as he walked through the doors. The silverette was extremely tempted to let go a sigh of relief but he managed to resist it. Besides he knew that his struggles were far from over.

Even from the outside, Carrigan could tell that the bar was extremely crowded. Silhouettes of random people of all shapes and sizes swarmed with each other in the midst of the blue background. A still-standing person inevitably brushed against another, making body contact unavoidable for everybody. Flashing lights allowed a second inspection of a nearby person before flickering to another section. Loud music mixed with even louder chatter from both customer and employee. The thick smell of alcohol struck heavily inside anybody's mouth, adding to the uncomfortable overload of all five senses.

Carrigan immediately felt shivers of distress. He wished that he came here with somebody so that there was a smaller chance of him having to interact with a stranger. Heck, he would be fine if he had come here with Cloud. Even though he hated the serial killer's guts, having the blonde around would still be better than being alone. Carrigan had heard a great deal of horrible stories of what happened to careless people going solo. With his meek behavior and weak constitution, the CEO was a prime victim for any predator. Forget the terrorist for now; Carrigan had to find Cloud first.

Trying his best not to flinch, Carrigan slowly made his way through the throngs of people enjoying themselves. He kept his eyes continuously searching for the spiky head of blonde locks that would point him to Cloud. In doing so, he also hoped that his constant eye movement wouldn't hold another person's gaze for too long. He really needed to find Cloud as soon as possible. However the more he searched, the more desperate Carrigan got. The multitude of people bunched together only slowed him down and made it that much harder to find an acquaintance. It didn't help whenever he noticed some people staring at him with a familiar, disgusting look.

The close proximity also allowed a hunter to bear down on the unfortunate young man. Carrigan didn't realize it until too late that an arm draped itself over his shoulders and yanked him backwards. His startled cry was lost among all the other noises. He twisted his head to see a man with slicked-back blue hair and matching, sharp eyes. The strange red markings around the man's eyes did little to cover his drunken state. A flash of fear stabbed Carrigan's heart at the realization of his current position. He opened his mouth to protest, only to have a yelp elicited from him when he felt an unwelcoming touch on his left butt cheek. Immediately his face flushed red with shame at how easily he was exploited.

"A pretty little lady such as yourself shouldn't be alone in a place like this," the man chuckled, a slight slur in his words, once he secured Carrigan in his grip. Yet the security waned weakly as the victim attempted to struggle out of the hug.

"Let me go! I'm trying to find somebody!"

"Leave the lady alone, Falco." Nobody around them seemed to notice the commotion, save for the messy brunette with a white patch of hair in the middle. Carrigan's heart initially rose when he heard somebody stand up for him. However he then recognized the slightest slur in this man's voice as well, and his heart fell at the doubt of the other stranger standing up for him. His suspicions were correct when his harasser looked over with a toothy grin and said with all too much familiarity:

"Shut up, Fox. Besides, I'm doing her a favor." Falco emphasized his words with an eager squeeze. This caused Carrigan to squeak pitifully and redouble in his efforts to get away. However he had to quickly calm himself down when he realized that his struggling just helped his molester feel his ass even more. It was hard to believe that more of Carrigan's blood could rush to his head with how crimson his face was right now.

On the other hand, it wasn't that hard to believe that these two drunk men would mistaken him as a girl considering how a sober man also thought he was a girl in better lighting than this place. That didn't stop Carrigan from still wishing that that wasn't the case. His self-esteem was low enough as it was already, and he didn't need another reminder of his flaws in both appearance and behavior. Trying his best to ignore the disgusting sensation of a hand on his butt and being so close to a stranger, Carrigan had to remind himself that Zelda had given him a second chance to not be the pathetic person he was in the past. He told himself that if he couldn't handle this situation by himself, then he might as well give up his mission now considering how Cloud's torment should be far worse. Carrigan couldn't fail, not when his sister's life was on the line. His thoughts actually motivated him to not give up and persuaded him to try and escape again.

Carrigan tried to push Falco's arm away. However the man maintained a tight hold on the silverette. He struggled once more, only to get another squeeze at his ass. He couldn't stop the gasp coming from his mouth, but immediately afterwards he gritted his teeth and tried to pull away again. Despite his determination to get away, his harasser simply wasn't having it. Falco had snagged a prize and he had every intention to keep it. "Feisty, aren't you?"

Fox shook his head with a careless shrug and shit-eating grin. "Whatever you say. But you should have picked a more top-heavy girl. She looks like an A cup." At that mentioning, Falco moved his arm to see if Fox's prediction was true. However Carrigan caught the motion and slapped his arm away. The older man snarled at that and attempted it once more. The silverette absolutely refused and covered his chest with both arms to prevent the man from also touching it. Falco had to concede defeat at that but he wasn't too disappointed.

"Her ass is where it's at." Falco argued as his hand shifted over to Carrigan's right butt cheek and purposefully squeezed. The man smirked when he felt his prey flinch. "And she's got a ripe, plump one alright."

"Stop touching me! I'm with somebody!" the lie spilled from Carrigan before he even knew it. He felt his heart skip a beat when he heard those words. Even Fox and Falco seemed to pause at the revelation Carrigan revealed. Unfortunately, that didn't last long as the harasser went right back to fondling. He tightened his arm around the younger man.

"Don't lie. You wouldn't be here alone if you're with somebody already."

"I'm looking for him right now! So let me go!"

"Lies shouldn't come from your pretty little mouth. So why don't we leave this dump and-." Fortunately for Carrigan, he and Fox would never know what Falco wanted to say as a pained grunt interrupted his sentence. Carrigan felt his assaulter's grip loosen, and he took that chance to spring free without paying much attention to the dull thud that followed afterwards. He had absolutely no idea what happened but he didn't want to find out. The silverette hurried to escape before Falco could recover or Fox could react. However another grip furiously caught the young man and yanked him backwards. Unable to suppress another pained cry, Carrigan wanted to tell off whoever was holding him this time to. When he turned to do so, the curse words quickly died on his tongue, replaced by a different one.

"C-Cloud!"

Although the flashing lights only lit his face for brief intervals, those intervals were enough for Carrigan to see the red hot rage burning in Cloud's eyes. The serial killer managed to catch Carrigan's other flailing arm in his iron grip although that might not have been necessary. Cloud's bloodcurdling glare already petrified the former CEO, the smaller man's eyes wide and body trembling. "You fucking dare disobey me?" Cloud's low voice made Carrigan flinch as if he had whipped him physically. The silverette flinched from the intensity of those words. It was obvious that Cloud was doing everything in his power to keep his temper from exploding.

Carrigan couldn't respond in time as Fox charged at the blonde with a wild howl and unruly punch. "You bastard! You'll pay for that!" Cloud barely laid his eyes on the drunk. In the split second that he did, he leaned backwards. Fox's fist met no resistance and he fell slightly forward between Cloud and Carrigan. Before he could regain his balance though, Cloud had already relinquished one hand to punch him. Fox stumbled backwards with his hands covering his bruised chin. The reflex tears and his drunken mind caused him to fall right against another patron of the bar. This apelike man didn't appreciate having somebody slam into him and spilling his highly expensive beer. He retaliated with a punch of his own at Fox.

Before Carrigan knew it, an enormous fight had erupted in the bar. Screams and crashes replaced the music and chatter from before. Everything blurred confusingly as now everybody was moving, either to fight or to escape. In the chaos, Cloud had actually lost his grip on Carrigan's wrist. The silverette now pressed against the counter, making himself as small as possible. Fear clearly etched itself in his eyes as his body trembled slightly with it. His heart pounded loudly in his ears, sometimes in tune with the common crash. Every time somebody or something got too close, Carrigan registered it as danger and he would flinch in time with his heart skipping.

The young man shut his eyes tightly, almost squeezing out tears. In the heat of the moment he wished that he had listened to Cloud and stayed at the hotel. If he had then none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have been molested and the serial killer would have finished their mission. Now he had messed everything up. Carrigan had nobody to blame but him.

He flinched violently when a hand seized his wrist. Carrigan opened his mouth to scream only to gasp loudly when he recognized who grabbed him. "Come on!" Cloud shouted over the other noises. The serial killer yanked the former CEO to his feet. The moment Carrigan stood, Cloud was already pulling him through the shoving bodies. It was even worse than when he was hiding by the counter. People constantly collided in him, and he could feel whenever they crashed into Cloud as well. However this time, the serial killer kept his iron grip on Carrigan's wrist. The silverette would have winced at the pain from it if he wasn't panting from their escape run.

In the back of his mind, he was grateful that Cloud was keeping such a tight hold this time. Despite their current situation his heart skipped a beat when he imagined what would happen if they separated now. He wouldn't have a counter to try and melt into. He would be out in the open, vulnerable for anybody to quickly take advantage of. Carrigan had no wish to repeat the sexual harassment he faced with Falco and Fox.

Suddenly Carrigan saw somebody with spiky blue hair come for the serial killer with a ready fist. Before he could shout a warning, the stranger had already punched the blonde right in the head. Carrigan's heart skipped a beat as he felt Cloud jerk to the side violently. Somehow though, Cloud managed to recover from the blow. The silverette couldn't see his companion's eyes, but he could feel the anger though his body. Carrigan watched in horror as Cloud pulled a dark object from his side. He then slammed the butt of the handgun right into the stranger's head. Without waiting to see if his hit truly knocked out his attacker, Cloud placed his foot on the man's chest and shoved him away from him.

Cloud wanted to continue at the initial speed that they were running at. Unfortunately the now out cold man had slowed them down and now they were in a pretty crowded area. At this rate they wouldn't be able to escape with their skins intact. As a result Cloud quickly made up his mind on the method to get everybody moving. He aimed the gun above his head and fired three shots, surprising everybody around him. The small fights surrounding them suddenly stopped as the participants looked around fearfully for the gunner. Some even dropped to the floor with their arms covering their heads. The serial killer quickly hid his weapon and yanked on his companion's wrist once again. They took advantage of the fear and confusion infecting the nearby occupants to shove them out of their way.

The pair finally burst outside the doors of the bar. Some people passing by jumped slightly in surprise. It was obvious that many people outside were steering clear of the bar as the sounds of the fight reached beyond the doors. Carrigan barely registered the disappearance of the bar's bouncer. He probably went inside in a futile attempt to calm the patrons down. On the other hand, Cloud and Carrigan had no more purpose staying there. They quickly made their way back over to the love hotel. A familiar gust of AC air blew at them as they entered the building. Thankfully the lobby was as quiet as they had first appeared with nobody to question them.

Even though they were now away from the danger, Carrigan couldn't stop his heart from pounding a million miles per second. He knew that he messed up badly, and Cloud's stiff body language was a testimony to that. Although it could be argued that it was actually Cloud's fault for starting the fight, if Carrigan hadn't gotten himself in the situation in the first place then there wouldn't be a need for the serial killer to interfere. Unfortunately the incident was now a thing of the past. Even with a goddess on their side, going back in time to fix Carrigan's mistake couldn't be considered as an option. They had to live with this failure now.

Cloud said nothing as he continued to haul his victim towards the elevator. Despite the bruising pain he felt, Carrigan kept his mouth shut and followed the serial killer willingly as a small apology for his mistake. He was fully expecting Cloud to suddenly whirl around and punish him. However the serial killer still didn't do anything even when the elevator closed its doors with them inside. He still didn't let go of the silverette's wrist nor did he even look at him, only looking straight ahead at the gray doors. The uncomfortable silence blanketed the pair, almost suffocating one of them. Carrigan squirmed a bit as he felt that the silence was almost like a heavy burden on his shoulders. On the other hand, Cloud kept completely still and seemingly composed.

He only moved when the doors slid open on their room floor. He jerked Carrigan's wrist behind him. This particular yank was much harder as evident from Carrigan's surprised and pained cry. Dread filled the silverette as Cloud showed more signs of losing his control over his temper. Carrigan swore that he could actually see the murderous aura hanging around the serial killer. He flinched when Cloud slammed the door to their room open. It was a good thing that the door was still unlocked as per their deal with Takamaru. The serial killer yanked the former CEO into the room like a ragdoll, slamming the door closed. At the same moment he finally released his grasp on the younger man to send him stumbling into the room.

"What did I tell you about leaving the damn room? Are you really that incompetent that you can't even follow the simplest orders?" Cloud snarled. Carrigan regained his balance with the help of the nearby couch. His face flushed with both anger and shame at Cloud's words. He couldn't even look at him in the eye as he kept his stare on the carpeted floor.

"I only wanted to help. You didn't give me a chance to…"

"Because you would have messed everything up like you did just now. You couldn't even manage to drive those drunk idiots off by yourself. How would you deal with the terrorists like we were supposed to? It's just as I said to Zelda before. You're absolutely useless. There's nothing you can do to help."

Cloud's accusatory and insulting statements caused something in Carrigan to snap. Perhaps it was because Cloud too often downgraded him without giving him a chance. Perhaps it was because of his past of feeling incompetent in the presences of his two sisters. Perhaps it was because of his hatred of the vulnerability he felt during his time in the bar. Whatever the reason, Carrigan threw whatever guilt he felt about failing the mission out the window. He looked up with furious, teary eyes. In his anger, he had the courage to step right in front of the serial killer. The blonde remained unwavering as the silverette shouted, "Stop saying that about me! I am _not_ useless! I am _not_ worthless! I could have helped you if you've only let me! And about those two, I would have dealt with them perfectly on my own if you hadn't come barging in. It wasn't my fault that we lost our target. It was yours for starting that fight! You lost him yourself!"

"You little…" Cloud couldn't even finished his sentence as in a fit of rage at the disobedience he shoved Carrigan backwards. The silverette's narrowed eyes widened at the sudden action. His arms windmilled in an effort to regain his balance. Unfortunately he stumbled backwards too much to the point that his leg caught against the bed. He fell on top of the cushioned bed with a slight grunt. Unfortunately Carrigan couldn't get up as Cloud walked over with three quick strides.

The serial killer snatched Carrigan's right wrist once again and pinned it at the side of his head. However this time he also seized the CEO's neck tightly. Carrigan's eyes remained wide as he felt his air pipe quickly being blocked off. His left hand plucked feebly at Cloud's choking hand, unable to save himself from the choke. Only a small gasp left his mouth before he couldn't make any other noise. "I didn't have to save you, you know," Cloud growled as he little by little increased the pressure on Carrigan's throat. "I should have just let him continue harassing you. But that wouldn't be right. Because you're _mine_ to _wreck_." Cloud smirked as he leaned in close. Despite the dangerous situation he found himself in, Carrigan couldn't stop his face from flushing at the intrusion of his personal space. He couldn't even struggle to throw the serial killer off of him with the slight shiver that ran down his back from Cloud's choice of words.

"I won't allow anyone else to cause you despair." Cloud's breath tickled Carrigan's ear. Another shiver went down his spine.

"Only I should be the one making you feel powerless." Was…was Cloud's voice getting more difficult to hear? Even though he was so close?

Carrigan blinked constantly in an effort to get rid of the black edging his vision, only to realize in horror that it wouldn't go away and was quickly spreading. He barely had enough oxygen in his system to think how he didn't want to die like this. All he could do was lie there as Cloud slowly choked the life out of him. The silverette saw the serial killer smirk evilly through a long, dark tunnel now. It won't be long until…

Cloud's chokehold suddenly relinquished Carrigan's neck. His brain eagerly registered that fact, and the young man drew in a large, shuddering gasp for oxygen. The abrupt intake caused him to cough some hacking breaths before he began to breathe normally again. Carrigan now had enough oxygen to realize that Cloud had also stepped away from him to face somebody in the room. He couldn't make out the words that the serial killer was saying but his tone clearly indicated his anger. The stranger's voice also indicated their anger as well.

After breathing in some more air, Carrigan's brain began to work again. He realized that Zelda had appeared in order to reprimand Cloud's actions. How effective her scolding was, Carrigan had no idea. He sat up just in time to hear Cloud argue, "He's still alive, isn't he?"

"That doesn't change the fact that you very nearly killed him." Zelda's voice shook slightly, a testimony to how she was barely keeping in her anger. "This is my last warning, Cloud. Attempt to take Carrigan's life one more time, and you _will_ find yourself burning in the river of Infernoz's Seventh Circle!" The goddess then looked over to gauge Carrigan's condition. She breathed an obvious sigh of relief when she saw him up and apparently well with his hand rubbing his neck. "Are you all right, Carrigan? My most sincere apologies for not stopping Cloud sooner. I had no idea he would go that far." Here, she glared frostily at the serial killer. Cloud remained unperturbed as he leaned against the side mirror with his arms crossed.

Carrigan continued to inhale and exhale deeply, as if to reassure himself that nobody would be choking him to death anytime soon. Being so close to death again had almost made his heart stopped. It reminded him how fragile and vulnerable he was under Cloud, and he hated that. He nodded slowly in response to Zelda's inquiry. "I'm…I'm fine," he muttered as he avoided the goddess's gaze. For some reason, he felt that he would only see disappointment in her eyes, and that was something he definitely did not want to see. Zelda frowned at Carrigan's meekness.

"Are you certain about that? I know my excuse is not accept-."

"I'm fine, Zelda," Carrigan's statement came out a bit harsher than he intended it to as he finally met the goddess's gaze. A wave of guilt washed over him when he saw a matching light of remorse in Zelda's eyes. He hadn't meant to lash out at her. After all, it was because of her intervention that Cloud didn't kill him. That thought only served to remind Carrigan of his hopelessness. Even if it was technically Cloud's fault that the fight started, if Carrigan could have driven off his harassers, then he wouldn't need saving from the serial killer. As much as he hated being under Cloud's control, he hated how he needed the serial killer even more. He inhaled once before saying in a softer tone, "I'm sorry. I'm just…really disappointed in myself right now…"

"As you should be," Cloud mocked.

Zelda glared at the serial killer, her furious aura matching his murderous air a few moments ago. "You are testing my patience, Cloud. Do not think that because I gave you a second chance that you can do whatever you desire. You are supposed to work with Carrigan on this."

"I didn't need him to be there. If he had just listened to me and stay in the love hotel, we could have been interrogating Loz right now."

"It was you who started the fight in the bar and allowed the terrorist to escape in the confusion."

"And it was you who made me save Carrigan! I could have just left him there to get the terrorist but you kept pestering me about him!" Zelda raised an eyebrow. She opened her mouth to correct him. However Cloud quickly turned his attention back to Carrigan. He pointed an accusing finger at him. "You may think that it's my fault for starting the fight, but think about it. If I had simply walked up and took you away, those guys wouldn't have given you up without a fight, especially in their drunken state. They would have thrown the first punch and I would have had to retaliate. A fight would break out either way. In the end, it's still your fault we failed."

Carrigan flinched at those words. What Cloud said made sense. Considering the drunken state of those two men and how one of them still threw a punch after Cloud knocked out his companion, an inevitable fight would have resulted. The moment Carrigan was caught by Falco, the mission was as good as failed. Even if he had accompanied Cloud, there still was no promise that a drunk patron wouldn't attempt to snag Carrigan away from the serial killer. The only route had been for Carrigan to stay in the love hotel. Just like Cloud had told him to.

All the despair, from his sister's death to the present moment that Carrigan tried so hard to keep hidden, suddenly exploded. He shot from his seat on the bed and stomped over to Cloud. While Zelda jumped in surprise at the abrupt action, Cloud seemed to remain calm. He barely flinched as Carrigan looked at him with teary eyes and shouted, "Well if you think I'm so useless, why don't you kill me here and now?! Just end my miserable life already!"

"Carrigan!" Zelda couldn't keep the shock out of her voice.

"Well?! You wanted to kill me, don't you?! Do it already! I don't care anymore! I can't take it anymore! I hate it! I hate being here! I hate being with you!" In the spur of the moment, Carrigan began hitting Cloud's chest with his fists. Even Cloud couldn't help but start slightly at the unexpected action. However he still did nothing, only having a slight smirk at his companion's tantrum. Carrigan continued his rant, "I hate hearing you insult me! I hate you grabbing me until my wrist hurts! I hate you not allowing me to help you! I hate you making me feel vulnerable! I hate you killing my sister! I hate you killing me! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" With each cry his voice became hoarser. He finally stopped his weak beating only to bury his face in Cloud's shirt. His shoulders shook with muffled sobs, causing Cloud to grimace at the wet feeling of his shirt.

However he didn't do anything and simply let Carrigan continue to cry. If anything, he was enjoying the sight of the silverette in such despair. How funny, considering that Carrigan had told him he would never see the younger man cry. Lo and behold, here the former CEO was, crying his eyes out.

Zelda likewise watched. Unlike Cloud though, she felt extreme guilt for putting Carrigan through this. She knew how difficult it was for the young man to put up with the serial killer. However she had no idea that it could be to this extent. The goddess was tempted to pull Carrigan away to comfort him. However she had no idea how to do so. In the end, she could only watch.

Eventually Cloud felt Carrigan slacking against him. When he looked, he scowled at the sight of the younger man sleeping against him. Of course the brat would cry himself to sleep. Obviously the evening had taken a lot more out of him than he realized. Now the serial killer had to carry this worthless burden back to their motel. He was extremely tempted to simply leave him here for the love hotel employee to take. However he already knew that Zelda would do everything to prevent that from happening. As the goddess had said so many times, both of them were necessary for their mission to succeed. While Cloud still had no idea what part Carrigan had to play, that didn't stop him from shaming Carrigan every chance he got. In his mind, it was a small compensation for having to deal with these situations.

Scowling all the way, Cloud shifted the young man to carry him bridal-style. If he had carried Carrigan over his shoulder like he wanted to, that would only attract attention from everybody passing him. And the last thing Cloud wanted to do today was interact with other people.

He began to move towards the door. When he opened it and stood just outside, Cloud turned around to look at the goddess. Zelda still stood there, almost as if she was waiting for the serial killer to leave before disappearing like a ghost.

"Nothing else to say to me?" Cloud asked with a tone of a smirk.

"…No," Zelda replied. For some reason, that answer irritated Cloud. He raised a disdainful eyebrow at her.

"Really? Nothing like 'don't even think about killing him on the way home'?"

"You already know that. If you didn't, then you wouldn't have stopped choking Carrigan before my arrival. I'm surprised that you did. But I think I'm even more surprised by how you rushed to find Carrigan the moment I told you his situation."

At those words, Cloud glared at her. Zelda returned the stare coolly and allowed the silence to stretch between them. After a few minutes, she finally broke the silence herself with the words, "You will have more chances, Cloud, to capture the terrorists. And Carrigan would be invaluable when the time comes, no matter what you think. Good night." She closed her eyes and vanished in a flash of teal.

Cloud cursed under his breath. At least Carrigan wasn't awake to hear Zelda's words. Still, he didn't want to be reminded of how he reacted when Zelda notified him of Carrigan's presence in the bar. He hadn't even thought twice; he just rushed to take Carrigan back. And he hated how he did because Loz was right within his grasp. Putting the blame on the silverette and seeing him cry was but only the smallest of sweet bonuses to make up for the bitter failure of the mission. Because if this apparently small failure was a key component in stopping Cloud from succeeding his ulterior mission, then he would definitely never forgive Carrigan. And he would make the silverette pay dearly.

That harsh taste staining his mouth once more, Cloud turned on his heels to finally leave. He had had enough of this area.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Even though Zelda is a goddess, she still has limitations on what she can and cannot do. Giving Cloud and Carrigan a big budget is apparently one of the things she cannot do. But all kidding aside, it would be slightly suspicious for two guys who seem to be unemployed to have a lot of money. Unless one of them some sort of heir...Or I guess you can say that she can't do it because it is, in a sense, supporting the sin of Greed...I really don't know.
> 
> 2\. So...I had to do a little research concerning love hotels...In all honesty, it was actually pretty interesting to learn. A primary goal of love hotels is animosity, so the exit is sometimes hard to find. The choosing of the rooms is also done via pressing a button associated with a monitor displaying the room. You rarely see the employees to keep with the whole animosity goal. Throughout the whole day, you can only stay at most three hours and you pay via a tube inside the room. You could have an overnight stay but only after a certain hour. So yeah, it was pretty interesting to learn.
> 
> 3\. I wasn't sure which Smash character to use to be an employee for the love hotel. Ginta suggested that I use Takamaru, an assistant trophy. Really didn't have anybody else, so I just rolled with it.
> 
> 4\. The pink Villager, Sakura, owns the love hotel.
> 
> 5\. The bouncer was Bowser, the person Fox crashed into was DK, and the person who punched Cloud was Sonic. Just random Smashers since this is a Smash story...
> 
> Anyways, I hope this long-ass chapter was worth the wait. Again, sorry it took a really long time. I had some trouble deciding how to end it, actually. Usually the beginning and ending are really easy for me to write. Hopefully, the next chapter won't be as bad or take as long...really hopefully...


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